Driven by Love: Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes
by Akira Sieghart
Summary: Alvin and Brittany are finally on good terms. However, over one mistake, the lives of the Sevilles and Millers are thrown completely upside down. As the clock is ticking, Alvin and Brittany find themselves racing to save each other before it's too late.
1. The Mistake

**Everyone Make Mistakes**

**Hello everyone, I thought of the beginning of this story when I saw the_ Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air_ episode where Will gets shot.**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**I hope you guys like it!**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 1: The Mistake**

It had been an _interesting _night. Principle Milliken has resigned and had left Mr. Talbot as the new principle, who had just recovered from being a werewolf. Theodore, who had also been a werewolf, cured both of them. The school had put on the play _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_, which had almost been ruined by the werewolf scare, but was saved by the quick thinking of the Chipmunks and Chipettes.

Afterwards, at the Wrap Party in the gym, everything about Milliken's resignation and Talbot's hirement was announced. The Chipmunks and Chipettes played one final song as a good-bye to Ms. Milliken, and now it was time to clean up the gym.

"Alright, thank you guys for helping." Ms. Milliken said as she tied the last bag of garbage.

"No problem, I'm just glad we could all be a help to you." Dave said as he started to pick up the bags of garbage. "I'm sure we're all going to miss you."

"Don't count on it." Alvin mumbled under breath, earning a light smack from Dave.

"Thank you." Ms. Milliken said again. "And Alvin, even though you drove me crazy over the years… multiple times, I'm going to miss everyone… even you." She said as she placed a hand on Alvin's shoulder and gave him a last smile.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too." Alvin said as he smiled back at her.

"Alright boys, let's go." Dave said as he headed for the exit. "Girls, do you need a lift or is Ms. Miller going to pick you up?"

"Well, we're not sure." Eleanor said as she looked towards her sisters, looking for an answer.

"I thought we were going to walk home." Jeanette said, her attention shifting from cleaning to the conversation.

"It's almost ten thirty! I am NOT letting you girls walk home alone, hurry and finish and we'll drop you off." Dave said as he started helping them clean.

It took about an extra ten minutes, but soon, everything was clean and everybody was heading home.

"Alvin, you and Brittany go and make sure we don't forget anything, we'll be in the car waiting for you to come back." Dave said as he headed out with the other Chipmunks and Chipettes.

"Okay, let's get this over with." Brittany said as she rolled her eyes. She couldn't stand being alone with Alvin or being in school, putting them both together was horrible. "You check over there and I'll check over here." Brittany said as she pointed Alvin in the opposite direction.

"I didn't find anything, did you?" Alvin said as he walked back over to Brittany, who simply shook her head. "Alright, then I think we have everything."

"Alright, then let's hurry up and get out of here." Brittany said as she casually sped walked over to the exit.

"Wait, Brittany…" Alvin said before she left the building. "I was just wondering…"

"Hurry up, I don't have all day." Brittany said as she turned around and put her hands on her hips.

"I was wondering if you would like to… to… to…" Alvin stammered.

"Spit. It. Out." Brittany said in a slow mocking voice.

"If you would like to… go out with me tomorrow?" Alvin finally said as his face turned a bright red and his vision turned to the floor.

"W-what?" Brittany said in astonishment. '_Did Alvin just ask me what I think he did?' _She thought. "Y-you're kidding… right?" Brittany asked.

"No, I'm serious." Alvin said, a little hurt that she would think he would kid around about something like that.

"Alvin, we've always hated each other, you know… the whole _rivals_ thing? _Arch enemies_? Ring any bells?" Brittany said, a little confused. '_There's just no way. Alvin would NEVER ask me out._ She told herself.

"Brittany…" Alvin began. "I don't want it to be like that anymore, I don't want to fight with you on a regular basis." Alvin said, still not looking directly at her. _'I knew it! She doesn't like me! I hope we can still be friends…'_ He thought. "Brittany, if you don't feel the same way… can we still be friends?" Alvin asked innocently.

"I don't know Alvin, how about you ask me AFTER our date tomorrow night." She said smiling.

"So that's a yes?" Alvin asked as his face lit up.

"That's a yes." Brittany said as she sighed with happiness. "Let's go though; we don't need to keep everyone waiting."

"Fine." Alvin said as he tried to calm his heart. '_She finally said yes! I can't believe it!' _Alvin thought.

'_I don't know exactly what has gotten into him, but I kind of like it. I guess I've always liked him, maybe I was just waiting for him to make the first move.' _Brittany thought as they headed out the door.

As they entered the car, Alvin and Brittany remained silent and deep in thought while everyone else around them were talking about numerous things.

"Hey, Alvin, are you okay?" Theodore asked, noticing his brother's silence, which wasn't like him at all.

"I'm fine, what are we talking about again?" Alvin asked as he snapped out of his trance.

"We were talking about what to do tomorrow after school." Simon said.

"Oh, uh, I don't know. Any ideas yet?" Alvin said, trying to avoid the date between him and Brittany tomorrow.

"No, not yet." Eleanor said. "Brittany, do you have any ideas?"

"Huh? For what?" Brittany asked, also snapping out of her trance.

"Oh, nothing." Eleanor said as she rolled her eyes.

After Dave and the Chipmunks dropped off the Chipettes, they proceeded home themselves and entered the house.

"Okay, boys, you guys have school tomorrow and it's getting late, go get ready for bed." Dave said as he led them upstairs.

They quickly changed in pajamas, brushed their teeth, and got into bed. After about five minutes, Simon looked to his left and saw that Alvin wasn't just awake; he was sitting up and looking into space.

"Alvin, you proved that Mr. Talbot was a werewolf, aren't you satisfied enough to get some sleep?" Simon asked as he put his glasses on and stared at him.

"It's nothing like that Simon, it's because…" Alvin began, but he sighed and lay down. "You wouldn't care." He said as he closed his eyes.

"Not care? Why wouldn't I care?" Simon asked, feeling a little insulted. '_I'm his brother… if something's bothering him, I'll care._'

"Okay, how about this, you wouldn't _understand_." Alvin said as he quickly opened and shut his eyes.

"Not _understand_?" Simon said angrily. "It's obvious it's bothering you, so just tell me." Simon said as he walked over and sat on Alvin's bed.

"Well, tomorrow, I have a date with Brittany." Alvin said, blushing a little bit.

"A date? I thought you and Brittany couldn't stand each other." Simon asked.

"Well, it's been different recently. I don't want to fight with her; I just want to _BE_ with her." Alvin said.

"So what you're saying is, you're nervous?" Simon said, chuckling a little.

"Yeah? What of it?" Alvin said as he started getting defensive.

"It's just; _you're_ coming to _me_ about date advice." Simon said as he started laughing.

"Oh, who needs you!" Alvin shouted as he covered his head with his blanket.

"Alvin, I'm joking." Simon said, he wasn't laughing anymore, he realized that Alvin was being serious. "Just be yourself. You and Brittany are friends, even if things don't work out romantically between you two; nothing can change the fact that you're best friends."

"Thanks, Simon." Alvin said as he gently smiled at his younger brother.

"No problem, now get some rest, we _DO_ have school tomorrow." Simon said as he took off his glasses and drifted into sleep.

'_Maybe Simon's right, even if I can't be Brittany's boyfriend, I can still be her friend._' Alvin thought as he closed his eyes. '_I just hope I CAN be Brittany's boyfriend.' _Alvin thought before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

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_**At the Millers' House**_

"Brittany, just tell us where you're going tomorrow night." Eleanor said as she followed Brittany.

"Eleanor, what's going on?" Jeanette asked as she looked up from the book she was reading.

"Brittany's going somewhere tomorrow night and she won't tell me." Eleanor pouted before continuing to chase after Brittany.

"Come on, Brittany. You can't keep it a secret forever!" Jeanette said as she got up and chased Brittany with Eleanor.

"Not you too, Jeanette!" Brittany shouted. "Why do you two care _so _much?"

"Because, you're our older sister, and we want to know." Jeanette said firmly.

"Besides, if you don't tell us, we're going to follow you and find out ourselves!" Eleanor smirked.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." Brittany said, fire building in her eyes.

"Oh yes we would, but that's only because we _have _to. Just tell us and we'll leave you alone." Jeanette said giggling.

"Fine." Brittany said as she sighed. '_I guess I have no choice.'_ She thought. "I'm going on a date with Alvin tomorrow night."

Both Eleanor and Jeanette's eyes widened. They both knew that Alvin and Brittany liked each other, but they never expected for them to every go out... anytime soon at least.

"Since when?" Eleanor said while giggling.

"He asked me tonight." Brittany said as she lay down on her bed.

"So, are you going to go do it?" Eleanor asked in playful tone.

"Of course, I've been waiting for him to ask me forever." Brittany said as she rolled over on her side.

"Well, are you nervous?" Jeanette asked.

"Of course, but not because of the date." Brittany said through her pillow. "If Alvin and I don't make it, we aren't going to be friends anymore." Brittany screamed as she started to cry.

"Oh Brittany, even if you and Alvin don't become a couple, you're still going to be friends. A fight can sever the bond of a relationship, but nothing can sever the bond of a friendship, especially the one between you and Alvin." Jeanette said as she started to rub Brittany's back.

"Thanks guys, I feel a lot better." Brittany said as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

"No problem, you're our sister; we're here for you… always." Eleanor said as she lay down in her own bed.

"She's right, now let's get some sleep, tomorrow is Friday anyway." Jeanette said as she turned off the lamp and put her glasses down.

'_They're right, Alvin and I are always going to be friends… but maybe I'm ready to be more than that…' _Brittany thought before she found herself in a deep sleep.

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The next day seemed to be a little out-of-the-ordinary; there was a lot less trouble in school because of the new principle having more of an impression than the old. Alvin and Brittany also had an _off_ day, instead of fighting like they normally would; they were acting like a couple. Alvin would help Brittany with her work, give her complements, and even hold her hand; he was trying really hard to make the relationship work. It was the last class of the day and the only class that Alvin and Brittany didn't have together, math. As the bell rang, Alvin quickly got out of his seat and rushed towards the door.

"Alvin, may I have a word with you?" Mr. Olsen asked before Alvin had the chance to escape.

"Yes, Mr. O?" Alvin said as he walked over to his desk.

"I entrust that you know, Rebecca Davidson?" He said as he pointed to the other student besides Alvin who was standing in the room.

"Uh, yeah I guess." Alvin stammered, he didn't know her _PERSONALLY_, but by being in the same class, he had an idea.

"Well, she needs a little tutoring and I'm going out of state this weekend, so I was wondering if you could tutor her tonight." Mr. Olsen said as he explained his intentions.

"Me? I have a C- in this class!" Alvin shouted.

"Yes, you have a C-, but that's only because of your poor homework average, if you would learn to do your homework, you'd pass this class with flying colors." Mr. Olsen said, his face turning serious. "Now, if you do this, I'll bring your homework average back up to an A, which will make your final grade in this class an A."

"Okay, I'll do it." Alvin said as he sighed. "Let's go Rebecca." He said as he led her out of the room.

"Alright, let me just go to the bathroom before we leave." Rebecca said as she headed towards the girls' room.

"Alvin, I just can't wait for tonight!" Brittany said as she walked up to him. "I'm going to meet you at your house around six okay?"

"O-O-Okay." Alvin stuttered as he felt his heart sink, '_What am I going to do?'_ he thought desperately.

Just before Rebecca returned, Brittany had given Alvin one last smile and headed off with her sisters.

"Alvin, is something wrong?" Rebecca asked as she looked at the red clad chipmunk who was now pale white.

"Uh, everything's fine, what time are we going to be done tonight?" Alvin asked, practically panicking.

"I'm not sure, probably around five." Rebecca said, still not catching on to why Alvin was acting strange.

"Okay." Alvin said, starting to calm down. _'Alright, five, no problem, I'll still have plenty of time for my date with Brittany.'_ "Let's go."

Alvin and Rebecca were alone at Alvin's house, Simon and Theodore were over with the Chipettes and Dave had to work later than usual. Although Alvin didn't want to be a tutor in the first place, it turned out easier than he imagined. He would just teach her the basics of everything, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As time went on, Alvin lost track of time before he suddenly looked at the clock, it was five thirty.

"Oh no, Rebecca, it's five thirty, you need to leave." Alvin said as he quickly got up and opened the front door.

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right." Rebecca said as she walked over to him. "Care to walk me out?" She asked in a playful tone.

As they walked outside to the side walk, Alvin was about to turn around and leave but Rebecca grabbed his arm which kept him from moving.

"Ugh, Rebecca, let me go!" Alvin said as he struggled against her hold, for an eight year old girl, she had a pretty good grip.

"Alvin, do you want to go out tomorrow? You know, like a date?" Rebecca asked as she winked at him. Alvin felt his heart drop, _'This is going to be bad…' _Alvin thought.

"Uh, Rebecca, you're a nice girl, but the reason you need to leave is because I already have a date tonight." Alvin said looking away from her. He hated when girls cried, but when he looked into Rebecca's eyes, he saw no tears, no sadness, no anger, just happiness… which made him confused.

"Oh, Alvin, who cares? Go out with whoever you want tonight, dump her, and we'll go out tomorrow night." Rebecca said as she tightened her grip around Alvin's arm.

"No, I don't want to go out with you." Alvin protested. "I already have a date with someone who means a lot to me."

"Oh please, maybe this will change your mind." Rebecca said as she tugged on his arm and kissed him. _'What the, who does this girl think she is?'_ Alvin said as he tried to pull away, but she kept him from moving anywhere.

"Alvin?" A voice said behind them. '_No… it can't be… it can't be her.' _Alvin thought in horror.

The suddenness of the voice shocked both Alvin and Rebecca enough for her to release her grip on him. He slowly turned around to see, Brittany. She was wearing a beautiful red dress, high heels, and had a small red purse with her. Alvin simply gawked at her before he realized it… _'How long had she been there?_ Alvin thought, his face turning pale.

"Alvin, what's going on?" Brittany asked, her eyes were starting to be filled with tears. "Why were you kissing her?"

"No, Brittany, it's not what you think!" Alvin said quickly, he tried to run over to her but she stopped him.

"Really?" Brittany asked with a voice full of both anger and sadness. "You have a date with me, and I come here to find you sucking face with _her_? Who is she anyway? You know what, never mind, you obviously had better things to do than go on our date." She said as she stormed off.

"Brittany, wait!" Alvin screamed, he tried to run after her to find that Rebecca had a hold of his arm again. "Let. Go. Of. Me." Alvin said viciously, quickly yanking his arm out of her grasp and running towards Brittany.

Brittany had run out of breath, she had run for about 5 minutes straight, besides the fact that she was in high heels. She needed a break so she sat down on a bench she was next to. _'How could Alvin do this? I really thought he liked me, I guess I'm just not good enough for him.' _Brittany thought as tears started coming back to her eyes.

"Brittany!" Alvin screamed as he ran up to her. "Wait, just let me explain!"

"No Alvin, I know what I saw." Brittany screamed, her anger taking the best of her.

"No, you've got it wrong. _SHE _kissed _ME_." Alvin explained.

"Alvin, am I not good enough for you? I thought you asked me out because you liked me, but I guess that's just what I wanted to believe." Brittany said as she jumped down from the bench and started to walk off again.

"No Brittany, I would never do anything like that!" Alvin pleaded. "Sh-" Alvin began, but he stopped as he saw a dark figure towering over Brittany.

"Alright kids, I've got a game for you." The man said as he smirked. "It's called _'Cooperate and there won't be any trouble.'_" The man said in a scary tone.

"W-W-What do you want?" Alvin asked at he looked up at the man.

"What do I want?" The man said, grinning. "Well, I want _YOU_ to go home, and not say anything about this." He said as he grabbed Brittany by the arm. "And _SHE'S _coming with me."

"No!" Brittany screamed as she kicked him hard in the stomach and tried to run away.

"You little bitch!" The mad said as he clutched his stomach. "I wasn't going to use this, but I guess I have no choice." He said as he pulled a silver object from his pocket, it was a gun.

Alvin and Brittany both froze when they saw the object; they've both seen enough movies to know what it was and what could happen if they made the wrong move. They both decided to start cooperating, but horror struck over them when the man aimed the gun at Brittany.

"I did have _plans_ for you, but I guess you're just too stubborn for my type." The man said as he prepared to pull the trigger.

'_Oh no!'_ Alvin thought as he tried to think of something to do, and only one thing came to mind…

All in a quick second, Brittany saw a red object run in front of her, and she heard a loud bang before everything went black.

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**Oh, a cliffhanger?**

**Did Alvin really do what you think? Did he make it in time? Who knows.**

**Thanks for reading the first chapter to what, I hope, will be a wonderul story.**

**REVIEW! ^^**


	2. Complications

**Everyone Make Mistakes**

**Thanks for all of the reviews I have been getting.**

**It seemed like all of you liked my B&TC story so I will have the first chapter of the sequel done soon.**

**I hope you enjoy this story as well! ^^**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**I hope you guys like it!**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 2: Complications**

As Brittany fell to the ground, she fought against the urge to faint. She was dazed, he vision was blurry, her ears were ringing, and her abnormal heart beat was keeping her body from responding properly. She didn't know if she had been hit by a bullet. Her body was numb so she felt no pain; however, she was too frightened to check herself for wounds.

"Shit, I've got to get out of here." A voice, who she had presumed to be the man, said.

She heard loud footsteps run away, as soon as she felt like he was at a safe distance, she flickered her eyes open. She quickly picked up her head and rubbed it, she had a major head ache. As her vision returned, she quickly scanned her body. She felt a pleasant relief as she noticed that she had not been hurt.

A pure look of horror overlapped her face as she remembered what had just happened. _'Oh no, where's Alvin?' _She thought quickly. She was scared she didn't know what was going on; she quickly got up and looked around her. To her left was the red chipmunk who she loved, rolled up in a ball, motionless on the ground.

"Alvin!" Brittany screamed as she ran over to him. "Alvin, wake up! Wake up!" Brittany screamed as she rocked his body back and forth, tears escaping her eyes.

As she rolled him over, her eyes widened. It seemed like a cruel joke that Alvin would pull on everyone, but she knew it wasn't. Alvin was lying there with his hand covering a bloody wound in his chest, his eyes were half open as if her didn't have enough time to close them, and a dark pool of blood started to form underneath him.

"Alvin! No! You can't do this to me!" Brittany screamed as she hugged him, she felt herself starting to hyperventilate but she resisted the urge to pass out. "SOMEBODY HELP!" She screamed through her tears.

She didn't know what to do. She wasn't a doctor, but she knew Alvin wasn't breathing and was losing a lot of blood, fast. She could only bury her face into his chest and cry.

"Oh my gosh." A voice said in horror.

Brittany heard footsteps coming closer to them, as she looked up; she saw a familiar blue clad chipmunk. It was Simon.

"Brittany, what happened?" Simon asked as he ran over to her. "Are you hu-" He said before he saw Alvin. His face grew instantly pale as he stood there in shock.

"Don't just stand there! Help me!" Brittany cried.

"R-R-Right." Simon said as he ran over to her in tears. He grabbed Alvin's arm and checked for a pulse. _'It's faint, but there's definitely something there.'_ Simon thought as he looked over Alvin.

"Simon, we need to get help, fast." Brittany said as she continued to rub Alvin's head.

"Alright, you stay here with Alvin; I'm going to go call an ambulance." Simon said as he got up and ran towards the Chipettes' house.

'_Simon… hurry…' _Brittany thought as she continued to hold Alvin and cry.

As Simon raced back to the Chipettes' house, his mind was still in shock. He barged through the front door making everyone in the house jump in surprise.

"Simon dear, what's wrong?" Miss Miller asked as she came out of the kitchen with Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor. "I thought you needed to go back to your house to study."

Simon ignored their questions and darted for the nearest phone he could find. He knew the one three digit number to call, Dave had made him memorize it for safety reasons, but he never thought the day would come where he would actually need it.

"Yes, hello?" Simon said into the phone. "I need an ambulance now, it's an emergency." Simon answered into the phone.

Hearing Simon shout those word into the phone in sad tone, made everyone nervous. Everyone joined Simon into the living room and waited patiently for him to finish.

"It's two people; they're on the side walk of Washington Street. Please hurry!" Simon said before he hung up and started to proceed out the door.

"Simon, tell us what's going on!" Miss Miller said as she quickly followed Simon out the front door.

"Alvin's in big trouble." Simon said as he started to cry again.

That was all Miss Miller and the remaining Chipmunks and Chipettes needed before they ran alongside Simon. Miss Miller may have been getting old, but hearing that her adorable Alvin was in danger, she gathered up the last bit of energy she had and used everything to keep up with the kids.

As they grew closer and closer to the scene, they started to make out two figures. One was Brittany, and the other was Alvin.

"Brittany? What are you doing out here by yourself?" Miss Miller asked in an angry tone. She was about to add more, but her eyes widened and filled with tears as she recognized the figure that Brittany was holding. "Oh my gosh." Miss Miller said before she ran up to Alvin.

Miss Miller was checking on Alvin's condition while Simon stood there crying hysterically.

"S-Simon, is A-Alvin o-okay?" Theodore asked. He wasn't crying, he was in shock, his mind hadn't yet finished processing what had happened.

"No, Theodore, Alvin's hurt." Simon said as he brought Theodore into a hug which made Theodore burst into tears.

Jeanette and Eleanor stood there crying themselves as they comforted Simon and Theodore.

"Brittany how did this happen?" Miss Miller asked, trying to pull herself together.

Brittany didn't respond, she just kept her head in Alvin's chest and cried.

Before Miss Miller could ask again, the ambulance pulled up. Two men gradually climbed out of the van, they walked over to ask what the problem was before they saw Alvin. They quickly ran to the back of the van and pulled out a stretcher, they put Alvin on the stretcher gently and slid him into the van. As they prepared to leave, Brittany climbed into the van and sat besides Alvin.

"Ma'am, you cannot be in here." One of the paramedics said.

"I'm not going to leave Alvin." Brittany said silently as she rubbed Alvin's cheek.

"But-"

"Just try and stop me." Brittany said as she looked up at him.

"It's okay, let her ride with him. What hospital are you taking them to?" Miss Miller asked quickly.

"St. Jon's Hospital." The other paramedic said as he closed the door and began to ride off.

"Miss Miller? Are Alvin and Brittany going to be okay?" Theodore asked as he walked up to her.

"I don't know, baby, I don't know." Miss Miller said as she started to cry again. "Let's go, we need to get to the hospital.

As they got into Miss Miller's car, she instantly started to drive down the road. _'I need to call David.'_ She thought to herself as she took out her cell phone and dialed Dave's number.

"Hello?" Dave answered.

"David?" Miss Miller asked as she sniffled back more tears.

"Oh hi Miss Miller, I entrust that the boys are behaving?" Dave asked as he chuckled slightly.

"David, there's been an accident." Miss Miller said as a few tears rolled down her cheek.

"Accident? What kind of accident?" Dave asked as he panicked, when he got no response he started to get even more worried. "Please Miss Miller, talk to me!" Dave pleaded.

"David, Alvin's been hurt, badly." Miss Miller said as she started to cry again. "They're taking him to St. Jon's Hospital."

"How did he get hurt?" Dave asked as he started to cry into the phone.

"I don't know David, but you need to hurry, it's bad." Miss Miller responded.

"I'm on my way." Dave said as he hung up.

As they reached the hospital, they quickly entered into the building and rushed to the front desk.

"I need the room number for Alvin Seville and Brittany Miller." Miss Miller said, almost yelling.

"We don't have a room for a _Brittany Miller, _but Alvin Seville's room is number three hundred and two, third floor. Currently, he's in surgery." The woman behind the desk said before they headed off through the halls.

As they entered the third floor, they saw Brittany crying into one of the seats in the waiting room.

"Oh, honey." Miss Miller said as she brought Brittany into embrace. Brittany just hugged Miss Miller and cried into her stomach.

As they sat there, Dave quickly ran into the room surprising everyone.

"Dave!" Simon and Theodore yelled before they got up and ran towards him.

"Hey guys." Dave said as he picked both of them up in his arms. "Where's Alvin?" Dave asked with an expression of sadness and fear on his face.

"We don't know, dear, they have him in surgery." Miss Miller said as she rubbed Brittany's back.

"What happened?" Dave asked as she sat down, still holding his two boys.

"I don't know." Miss Miller said as she looked down at the floor.

"It's all my fault…" Brittany whispered.

"What honey?" Miss Miller asked.

"This entire thing, it's all my fault." Brittany said as she started to cry uncontrollably. "H-He was aiming at me!" Brittany yelled as she buried her head into Miss Miller's shirt.

'_This can't be happening.'_ Dave thought as he started to cry.

About an hour had passed and nobody had moved. Brittany cried herself to sleep and was still on Miss Miller's lap, with Miss Miller gently rubbing her back. Simon and Theodore were sleeping on Dave's lap, and Eleanor and Jeanette were sleeping together on the same chair, embracing each other.

As they sat there, a doctor came into the waiting room and looked around.

"Is anyone here, David Seville?" The doctor asked quietly.

Dave's eyes shot open as he looked at the doctor. He quickly got up and placed his two boys on the chair besides him and walked out into the hall with the doctor.

"How's my son?" Dave asked firmly.

"Well, the good news is, he's alive and is recovering." The doctor said, earning a sigh of relief from the Dave. "The bad news however, is that the bullet hit his spinal cord."

"Is he…" Dave began in horror.

"Paralyzed? Well, that's the thing; we don't have any way of knowing until he wakes up." The doctor said as he looked at Dave sadly.

"So we just need to wait for him to wake up?" Dave asked.

"Yes." The doctor answered. "But there is where the main problem lies; your son is currently in a coma."

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**Damn... I finished a cliffhanger... with a cliffhanger... O.o**

**That's just kinda mean. lol**

**Review! ^^**


	3. Secrets

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**I'm sorry for this being a really short chapter.**

**Hope you guys like it anyway!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

**

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**

**Chapter 3: Secrets**

Dave just stood there, mouth agape. His emotions mixed together, surprise, fear, sadness, and anger all gathered in his mind.

"Mr. Seville, I know this must be hard for you." The doctor said as he placed a hand on Dave's shoulder. "But there is no way to know when Alvin will awake."

"W-What can we do?" Dave asked as his eyes flooded with tears.

"There isn't anything you or anyone else can do." The doctor said. "You just need to have patience and wait to see if Alvin recovers." He added, almost whispering the last part.

"D-D-Did you just say _'if'_?" Dave asked in horror.

"Well, Mr. Seville, things aren't looking good for your son." The doctor said as his head dropped in sadness. "Alvin's out of surgery now, you can visit him if you would like. Good bye." He said before he walked away, leaving Dave in the hallway.

Dave stood there for several minutes as he watched the doctor walk away, finally, his thoughts caught up with him. _'What am I going to tell everyone?'_ He thought before he walked into the waiting room. As he entered the room, he saw that everyone besides Brittany was now awake and awaiting his return.

"Oh, David, what did the doctor say?" Miss Miller asked as she watched him walk into the room. "Is Alvin going to be alright?"

"Wake Brittany up, please." Dave said as he closed the door behind him. Miss Miller reluctantly obeyed and started to gently shake Brittany.

"What?" Brittany said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. _'Where am I?'_ Brittany thought as she looked around. She looked down at herself and saw that she was wearing a red dress, seeing the dress forced her to remember the painful experience she had just gone through. "Where's Alvin?" She asked instantly.

"Alvin's resting in his room; we can visit him now, room three hundred and two." Dave said before Brittany quickly jumped down and ran out the door.

Everyone got up and was prepared to follow Brittany's lead, but Dave quickly closed the door after Brittany exited the room. At first everyone was confused, but Simon caught onto Dave's attitude.

"Dave… what's wrong with Alvin?" Simon asked. Everyone's eyes quickly shifted to Simon then to Dave and waited for a response. Dave just continued to look at the floor as he felt himself start to cry again, but he quickly held back the tears, he knew he had to be strong for everyone.

"Alvin's alive and he's resting in his room… but there are a few problems." Dave said, trying to keep himself together.

"What kind of problems?" Miss Miller asked as walked over to him.

"Well, the bullet hit Alvin's spine." Dave explained.

"Does that mean that Alvin's paralyzed?" Simon asked in shock.

"They don't know yet, they need Alvin to wake up so they can run a few tests." Dave said as a few tears rolled down his face. "And he's in a coma." He whispered.

No one moved, no one talked, no one cried, they all just stood there, waiting for that first person to burst into tears so they knew that it was okay to do it as well.

"Well, all we have to do is wait for Alvin to wake up and he'll be okay." Theodore said as he hugged Dave.

"Theodore, Alvin's in a _coma_." Simon said quietly.

"What's that?" Theodore asked with a look of confusion on his face.

"It means that Alvin's in a deep sleep." Dave said as he hugged Theodore tighter.

"David, when do they think Alvin will wake up?" Miss Miller asked softly.

"T-They don't know if he _will_ wake up…" Dave answered as he started to cry.

Everyone's jaws dropped as Dave said that last line, _'This couldn't be happening…'_ They all thought.

"What are we going to tell Brittany?" Eleanor asked between her own sobs.

"I don't know honey, I don't know." Miss Miller said as she brought both Eleanor and Jeanette into a tight hug.

_**

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In Alvin's hospital room

Brittany was standing next to Alvin's bed as she rubbed his hand. She was trying to calm herself down, but it wasn't working. She continued to cry as she looked at the chipmunk lying in the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Alvin." Brittany said as she leaned over Alvin, her tears starting to drip onto his face. "This is all my fault, I'm sorry." She said as she laid her head on his chest.

Brittany heard the door opened and she looked up, everyone had come into the room. Dave and Miss Miller were walking over to Alvin's bed while Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor tried not to look at the gruesome scene in front of them.

"Oh, dear." Miss Miller said as she brought Brittany into embrace. Brittany didn't want to leave Alvin's side, but she was too tired to argue.

"Brittany, I need to ask you what happened." Dave said as he sat down next to her.

"It's all my fault…" Brittany whispered.

"Brittany, I'm sure that whatever happened, it's not your fault. But you need to tell us what happened." Dave said as he gently rubbed her back.

"Alvin and I had a date tonight, so I walked over to your house to leave with him… and he was with another girl." Brittany said as her head tilted down.

"Do you mean the girl he was tutoring?" Dave asked.

"Tutoring?" Brittany said as she looked up at him.

"Well yes, Alvin's math teacher called me and told me that Alvin agreed to help tutor a girl in his class today." Dave said as he rubbed his temples.

"But he was kissing her…" Brittany said silently, tears falling from her eyes.

"Brittany, that doesn't make any sense. Alvin had every intention of going on the date with you, we even talked about it last night, he was really nervous." Simon said as he folded his arms.

Brittany just stared at him in disbelief, _'Was Alvin telling the truth?'_ Brittany thought as more tears dropped from her eyes.

"Regardless, you need to tell us what happened honey." Miss Miller said as she wiped the tears from Brittany's eyes.

"I was heading to Alvin's house for our date, and when I got there I saw him kissing that girl." Brittany began. "I yelled at him and ran away." Brittany said as she sniffled back tears. "He ran after me and tried to explain everything… but I wouldn't listen." She said as she buried her face in her hands. "I didn't know he was tutoring her! I DIDN'T KNOW!" Brittany screamed as she began to cry hysterically.

"It's okay, baby, calm down." Miss Miller said as she grabbed Brittany and began rocking her gently. "What happened next, Brittany?"

"I tried to walk away from him… but we were cornered by another man." Brittany said as she stared at the floor. "He told Alvin to leave and to not say anything, and he grabbed me by the arm. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do, I kicked him and ran away." She said as she slowly raised her head and looked forward. "He pulled out a gun and aimed at me… but… A-Alvin jumped in the way…" Brittany said as started to cry again.

"Oh, Brittany, I'm so sorry." Dave said as he watched her cry.

"I'm sorry Dave; it's my fault Alvin got hurt." Brittany said as got up and gave him a hug.

"It's not your fault, Brittany." Dave said as he patted her on the back.

"I swear, when he wakes up I'm going to make it up to him." Brittany said as she cupped Alvin's hand.

Everyone looked at her, shocked. She still didn't know… anything. They all shifted nervously in their seats, almost making it obvious that they were keeping something secret. Unfortunately, Brittany caught on.

"Guys…" Brittany said in a slightly threatening tone. "What aren't you telling me?"

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**I swear, I write one more cliffhanger, I'm going to mentally kick myself in the ass...**

**Hope you guys like it so far.**

**To all you B&TC fans, chapter 1 of the sequel is done... but I'm currently rethinking the story... so it may be a couple more hours before it's released...**

**R&R PEOPLE! ^^**


	4. Comforting

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Hmm, what could they be keeping from Brittany?**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 4: Comforting**

Everyone stood there, uncomfortable, no one daring enough to look Brittany in the eye. Brittany on the other hand, was ready to burst. She was full of sadness, anger, rage, and guilt.

"What are you not telling me?" Brittany asked again.

"We're not keeping anything from you, dear." Miss Miller said as she tried to approach Brittany.

"No, she deserves to know." Simon said as he stopped Miss Miller.

"Brittany, Alvin's in a coma." Dave said quietly.

Brittany's eyes widened in shock, while she didn't know what a coma was exactly, she knew that it meant that Alvin could be asleep for a long time. But how long?

"And…" Dave began as he felt his voice begin to break. "The bullet hit his spine..." Dave said as he looked down at her.

Brittany knew what that meant as well, she knew that if something, even the slightest thing, damaged your spine; you could be paralyzed for life.

"Is he…" Brittany began, but she couldn't finish. She knew that if she tried, she would break down and begin crying again.

"They don't know yet, they need him to wake up before they can perform any tests." Dave said quietly.

"When is he going to wake up?" Brittany asked quickly.

"They don't know… they don't even know… _if_ he's going to wake up." Dave said before he broke down and began crying.

Brittany stood there, eyes widened and tears silently dripping from them. She couldn't believe it, '_Alvin didn't deserve this… any of it, it's all my fault…'_ Brittany thought before she got up and ran out of the room.

"Brittany, wait!" Miss Miller screamed before she got up herself. "I'm going to go after her."

Brittany ran down the hall and back into the waiting room, she didn't want to leave Alvin's side, but she couldn't be in there with him when it was her fault. She hopped onto a chair in the waiting room and cried silently. She looked down at herself, the once beautiful dress that she had worn to impress Alvin, was now torn and faded. She looked at her hands, she had gotten a manicure after school that day, but her nails were chipped from falling on the pavement during the night, and her hands were now red and stained with the blood from the person who she loved more than anything else. She heard the door as Miss Miller ran into the room and up to her.

"Brittany!" Miss Miller said as she tried to catch her breath.

"Go away!" Brittany screamed. "It's all my fault, Alvin wouldn't want me in there!" She said between her own sobs.

"Brittany Miller, ask yourself something, why do you think Alvin took that bullet for you?" Miss Miller asked as she sat next to Brittany.

Brittany was silent.

"It's because he loves you, and he wanted to do everything he could to protect you." Miss Miller said as she rubbed Brittany's back.

"But… it's all my fa-" Brittany began, but she was cut off by Miss Miller grabbing her arm lightly.

"You know that's not true, I'm sure he doesn't blame you at all." Miss Miller said. "If Alvin's going to pull through this alright, you need to be there for him."

Brittany knew that Miss Miller was right, while part of Brittany wanted to blame herself for all that had happened, the other part of her knew that she shouldn't beat herself up when Alvin needed her help. Deciding that she was going to help Alvin, Brittany got up and gave Miss Miller a short hug before she began to walk back into Alvin's room. When she walked in, she saw that everyone was now standing besides Alvin, trying to comfort him as best they could.

"Everyone… I'm sorry." Brittany said as she walked into the room and closed the door.

"Brittany, we're not mad, we know you're just upset." Dave said as he looked away from Alvin. "I'm just glad you both weren't hurt, besides, Alvin's strong, he'll make it out of this." He said as he gave Brittany a small smile.

"You're right Dave." Simon said. "Alvin's the strongest out of all us, it's going to take more than this to take him out."

"Exactly, we all just need think positive and Alvin will be as good as new in no-time." Dave said as he hugged Simon and Theodore.

Before anyone could add anything, a doctor came in with Miss Miller.

"Hello, I am Dr. Thomas." The doctor said as he gave a small nod to everyone.

"How's my son, doctor…" Dave began.

"Thomas." Dr. Thomas said. "Well, your son's doing a little better than we expected." He said, but his face stiffened as he saw that everyone looked relieved. "That being said, it's still not clear if he's going to make it." He continued quietly.

Everyone just stood there in shock; they couldn't bear the thought of NOT having Alvin in their lives anymore.

"But, he's continuing to improve." Dr. Thomas said, trying to relight the spark of hope. "I'm sure that if he makes it through tonight, he'll live." He said, trying to put on a small smile.

"Thank you, doctor." Dave said as he got up and shook Dr. Thomas' hand. "Do you have any idea when he'll wake up?"

"That's still uncertain, even with today's technology; we still don't know _everything_ about the condition known as a 'coma'." Dr. Tomas said as he looked at Alvin. "We'll take good care of him and we'll call you if he wakes up, but for now, you all need to leave."

"Dave!" Theodore shouted. "Can't we stay here with Alvin?" He asked the doctor.

"I'm sorry; no visitors can stay over-night, not even family." Dr. Thomas began. "You can all return in the morning."

"David, is it okay if I bring the girls by your house tomorrow afternoon? That way you can bring all of them to visit Alvin; I need to do a little bit of running around." Miss Miller asked.

"That's no problem. Okay everyone, get all your stuff together, we'll come back tomorrow." Dave said as he gathered his coat which was hung on one of the room chairs.

"Okay." The five kids mumbled, none of them wanted to leave Alvin's side, but they knew that they weren't going to win the argument if they tried to stay.

As they were leaving the room, Dave took one last glance at Alvin. _'Alvin, you may drive me crazy sometimes… but I love you, and you saved Brittany's life… I'm proud of you son.'_ Dave thought as he put a smile on his face and walked out the door.

_**

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_**At the Seville's house**_

Dave tried to reassure Simon and Theodore that Alvin was going to be fine and that they should get to bed, it didn't work too well. They couldn't sleep; both twisted and turned in bed.

"Simon…" Theodore whispered.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Simon asked as he rolled over to face his little brother.

"No… I'm just so worried about Alvin." Theodore said as he started crying. "I don't want to go through life without him!"

Hearing this made Simon start crying too, he just got up from his bed and went over to Theodore and hugged him.

"I know, I feel the same way." Simon said as he sniffled back tears.

"Why Simon!" Theodore cried. "Why did this have to happen to Alvin?"

They were both crying at this point, neither of them realized that they were being watched. They both felt two arms wrap around them and pull them into a tight hug, it was Dave, and he was crying as well.

"I don't know why Theodore, but I promise, we're going to get through this." Dave said as tears flowed down his face as well.

Dave sat there for a few minutes before he looked down, both Simon and Theodore were asleep in his arms. Dave sighed; he didn't have the heart to leave them alone. He picked them both up and carried them into his room; he gently sat down and put them next to him. _'Alvin… I don't know what we would do without you… you just have to get better.'_ Dave thought before he closed his eyes, he knew that he needed to be strong for his family, for Alvin.

Sleep may have been the last thing that Dave wanted, but he knew that he needed plenty of sleep so he could go to the hospital early in the morning. He looked at Simon and Theodore before falling asleep to memory of his family; Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Brittany, Jeanette, Eleanor, and Miss Miller, all together… having fun.

_**

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_**A**__**t the Miller's house**_

Miss Miller had a hard time trying to get Brittany to get ready for bed, Brittany didn't refuse, she just didn't have the will to do anything. Finally, Miss Miller got Jeanette and Eleanor to help Brittany get ready and put her in bed. Even though Eleanor and Jeanette were both worried about Alvin, they eventually fell asleep. However, Brittany did not. Brittany just laid there staring at the ceiling for hours before she had any nerve to go to sleep, but when she finally did; her sleep was plagued by nightmares. Every time she fell asleep, her mind would playback the gruesome scene she did not want to remember.

Jeanette woke to the sound of someone whimpering in the room, she looked around and saw that Brittany was having a bad dream. Brittany was talking in her sleep, she was begging someone to stop, she was screaming Alvin's name, each time louder than the last. Brittany was punching and kicking the air as if she was trying to get away from someone. It didn't take long before Jeanette became worried and got up and walked to Eleanor's bed.

"Eleanor, wake up." Jeanette whispered.

Eleanor had a weird habit of sleeping. She would easily wake up to her name being called, but she wouldn't wake up if a bomb went off outside. However, Jeanette knew this so she woke up because Jeanette called her name.

"Jeanette, what's going on?" Eleanor said as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Jeanette didn't answer back; she placed her finger on her lips signaling Eleanor to be silent. She just silently pointed to Brittany's bed and dropped her head. They walked over to Brittany's bed and watched her, she was crying. They didn't dare wake her up, they knew she didn't want to talk about it, so they did the one thing that they knew she wouldn't mind… they got into bed with her and gave her a hug.

It worked, Brittany calmed down a little knowing that she had people there that loved her. While Jeanette and Eleanor had no intention of sleeping in Brittany's bed, they knew that Brittany wasn't going to get a good night sleep unless they did. So they both closed their eyes and embraced their sister, and fell asleep.

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**Well... that was... sad...**

**Next chapter will be a mix of all types of emotions.**

**READ AND REVIEW! NOW! ^^**


	5. Denial

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**I'm really getting absorbed into this story... I really like it!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

**

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**

**WARNING!: This chapter is actually REALLY sad about halfway through it... I wrote it and even I began to cry a little. I'm just giving you all fair heads-up.**

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**Chapter 5: Denial**

_**The next morning**_

Despite her sister's efforts, Brittany had barely gotten any sleep the previous night. She awoke to find herself between her two sisters. At first she was confused, but she concluded that Eleanor must've had a nightmare and Jeanette couldn't comfort her alone.

"Aw, guys." Brittany whispered before she wiggled out of their embrace.

Brittany walked over to her dresser and pulled out clean clothes, she proceeded to the bathroom down the hall. She stepped inside and ran the water; she slowly slid off her pajamas and began to stare at herself in the mirror.

She knew she wasn't ugly, far from it in fact; most kids would flirt with her everyday despite her being a chipmunk. She walked over to the tub and checked the temperature, it was as close to perfect as she was ever going to get. She slowly got in and sat down embracing the water's warmth, _'I'm forgetting something…'_ she thought. She knew she had been sad the day before, but for some reason, she couldn't remember why. She wanted to try and remember, but her mind knew that if she did, she would only become upset all over again, so she decided to make all her thoughts about the subject disappear.

Instead, Brittany continued with her soothing bath. After finishing, she grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry herself off. Afterwards she grabbed her clothes and changed, she changed into her normal outfit which consisted of a pink dress, a yellow scarf, white tights, and yellow leg-warmers. As she walked back into the bedroom, she noticed Jeanette and Eleanor still sleeping in the same positions as if she had never left.

'_Where's my perfume?' _Brittany thought as she started to dig through her dresser. Even for a eight year old girl, she was horrible at organizing her things. Her dresser drawers were full of useful and useless school papers, music CDs, movies, books, among other things. _'Aha, found it!' _Brittany thought as she pulled the bottle out of the drawer. While pulling her hand out, she accidentally hit a picture frame off of the dresser and heard a very unfriendly cracking sound, she broke it.

"Uh-oh…" Brittany mumbled as she thought of the trouble she could get into if Miss Miller found out. _'I need to hide this… fast…'_ Brittany thought as she quickly threw the frame and picture into a nearby garbage can. She didn't have any idea what the picture was, she didn't care, to Brittany, the less you know about something, the less likely you are to get in trouble.

The sudden noise of the picture frame dropping into the garbage can and the frame breaking even further woke Jeanette and Eleanor.

"Brittany?" Eleanor said quietly. "What was that?"

"Oh… nothing…" Brittany sang nervously. "Come on; let's go see if Miss Miler made breakfast yet." Brittany said as she headed out the door.

This sudden outburst made both Jeanette and Eleanor worried, they just looked into each other's equally worried eyes.

"Jeanette… does Brittany seem to be in a…" Eleanor began but stopped to gather her words correctly before she spoke up again.

"Unusually good mood?" Jeanette finished for her.

Eleanor just simply nodded.

"I don't know, let's just go with it for now, we may have this all wrong and bringing up Alvin could destroy her." Jeanette said calmly as she ran her fingers through her hair.

They both tried to shrug off the thoughts; they changed into new clothes and proceeded downstairs. They walked into the kitchen to find Brittany humming happily as she sat there reading through one of her favorite magazine subscriptions. Miss Miller was making breakfast when she heard Jeanette and Eleanor walk in, she quickly dropped what she was doing and grabbed the two and dragged them out of the room.

"Okay, what's going on with Brittany?" Miss Miller asked, she had a bit of an angry tone, but you could tell by her eyes that she was filled to the top with sadness… and that tank was ready to tip over at any moment.

"We don't know, Miss Miller." Jeanette said quickly.

"She was acting like that when we woke up." Eleanor said quietly.

"Well, do you girls have _any_ idea?" Miss Miller asked. No anger in her voice anymore, just pure sadness.

"We're not sure, let's just try to avoid any talk of Alvin and everything that happened last night, we don't want to cause Brittany any more pain than she's already been through." Eleanor said as everyone sighed.

"I guess you've got a point, just try to run through your day like normal." Miss Miller said as she headed back into the kitchen.

"What were you guys talking about?" Brittany asked as she continued to read her magazine.

Oh nothing, honey. We were just talking about… school work." Miss Miller stammered.

"Ugh, why would you _ever_ talk about something school related on a _weekend_?" Brittany asked as she over dramatically acted like she as disgusted.

Jeanette sighed and Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"Alright girls, here's your breakfast." Miss Miller said as she carried them all plates of food.

While Eleanor would usually help Miss Miller cook, she had slept in today and Miss Miller didn't have any problem doing it herself. No matter how old she or any of her girls would get, she would always make sure she would take care of them. Soon, all three girls were done and were heading off to play.

"So, what do you guys want to do?" Brittany asked as they entered their room.

"I don't know." Eleanor answered.

"I don't either." Jeanette replied.

"Well, that's just great…" Brittany mumbled.

They tried a bunch of things that would hopefully give them entertainment, they tried watching TV, watching a movie, making snacks, playing tag, doing each other's makeup, but nothing seemed to work.

"Okay, I'm going to ask Miss Miler if we can go shopping or something." Brittany said as she started to walk off.

"No Brittany, I… don't want to go shopping." Eleanor said trying to keep Brittany away from Miss Miller.

"Yeah, me either." Jeanette added. "Let's see if we can go to the park or something." Jeanette said before they all got up and headed out the door and into Miss Miller's room.

"Can I help you, girls?" Miss Miller asked in a polite tone.

"Can we go to the park for a little while?" Eleanor asked.

"Well…" Miss Miller began as she looked at her watch. "I don't see why not. It's quarter to one now, just make sure you're all home by two." They all thanked their mother and proceeded to the park.

Once they got to the park, they saw that it was fairly packed today. All the swings were taken, all the jungle gyms were crammed with kids, the basket ball, baseball, soccer, and even the open fields were being used. Seeing all of this almost made Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor feel left out, however they shrugged off the thoughts and headed for an open bench in the park.

"Brittany…" Eleanor began. "I… we've been meaning to ask you…" Both Eleanor and Jeanette knew what she was trying to ask, but putting the question together gently proved harder than they thought.

"Guys, you know I hate that… just spit it out." Brittany said as she crossed her arms.

"Brittany, how much of yesterday do you remember?" Eleanor finally asked.

"Enough to know what happened." Brittany answered.

"And what happened?" Jeanette asked.

"Nothing really, we went to school, we went home, hung out, then went to bed." Brittany said as she shrugged.

The answer made Jeanette and Eleanor freeze in their spots, _'Does she really not remember anything?'_ Eleanor asked herself.

"Either way, I don't care about what happened yesterday, I want to concentrate on what's happening today." Brittany said as she jumped off the bench and started to walk away.

"Wait Brittany, where are you going?" Eleanor asked as they ran after Brittany.

"I'm going home, besides, it's almost one forty-five." Brittany said as she continued to walk home.

When they stepped through the front door, they heard that Miss Miller was on the phone.

"So I should bring them by now?" They heard Miss Miller ask. "Okay, see you in a few minutes."

As they walked into the living room, Miss Miller came in and greeted them briefly.

"Girls, get ready. I'm going to drop you over by David's in a few minutes." Miss Miller said as she grabbed her coat.

"Ugh, I don't want to go there!" Brittany protested. "I'm not in the mood to get in an argument with that annoying chipmunk!"

Everyone, everything, grew silent.

"What?" Brittany asked noticing the awkward silence.

"Brittany… who are you talking about, dear?" Miss Miller asked in shock.

"Alvin, of course…" Brittany answered. "Why?"

"Brittany, do you remember the _reason_ you three are going to David's house today?" Miss Miller asked.

"No, I didn't even know we _were_ going to the Chipmunks' house today…" Brittany answered again.

"I'm bringing you girls there… so… David can bring you all… to the hospital." Miss Miller said as she struggled against the urge to break down and cry.

"Why would we got to… the… hospt-" Brittany began, but she cut herself off. Tears began streaming down her face… she remembered… everything. She quickly jumped off the couch and ran up the stairs to their room and slammed the door.

She dropped to her knees and started to cry hysterically, she hugged her knees tightly and lay on the floor. Her mind had practically forced her to relive everything, every little detail was played back in front of her eyes, and it felt horrible. To relive that event, she wanted it all to stop. All the sadness, all the pain, everything, she didn't deserve it; no one did… especially not Alvin…

She got up off the floor and tired to crawl over to her dresser, she stood up and tried to grab the picture of her and Alvin together… it wasn't there. _'Where is it?'_ Brittany thought to herself, she suddenly felt a sharp pain through her heart as she remembered what had happened in the morning. She shifted her vision towards the garbage can in the room, _'I didn't… I couldn't…'_ Brittany told herself.

She started to crawl over to the can, her face still being dampened by the tears that were coming down. When she finally made it over to can, she reached into it and pulled out the broken frame. She began to cry harder when she recognized the frame and the words that were engraved on the back, _'Happy Birthday, Britt!'_. She reluctantly turned over the frame and saw the picture, it was her favorite picture, it was her and Alvin holding hands at the beach. It was the first time she realized her feelings for Alvin, and the words that seemed to be innocent at the time, rang in her ears, telling her that Alvin always liked her.

'_I'm so stupid…'_ Brittany told herself as she looked down at the picture, tears gently falling onto the picture and dripping down to the bottom. She closed her eyes and hugged the pictures, _'I want this to stop! All the pain… all the heart-ache… everything… I just want you back!'_ Brittany told herself as she lay onto the floor and tried to rock herself back and forth for comfort. She looked at the picture again, she couldn't imagine life without him, she would gladly trade places with him if she had the chance. But she knew she didn't, she knew that even if Alvin never recovered, she would have to live with all this pain… all this guilt for the rest of her life.

She was still crying uncontrollably, she didn't want to think about anything, she just wanted all the pain to stop. She felt arms around her, it was her family. They just sat there, each embracing Brittany.

"We're not letting you go through this alone…" Miss Miller said as she sniffled.

'_Was she crying?'_ Brittany thought, she looked up… she was. She looked at her sisters, they were crying as well.

"We know we'll never know what you're going through, Brittany." Eleanor said as she continued to hug Brittany. "But I promise you, you're not alone, you're never alone."

"Thank you all, so much." Brittany whispered.

"Come on, let's go." Miss Miller said as she picked up Brittany in her arms.

As they pulled up to the Seville's house, they didn't even go in; they saw Dave, Simon, and Theodore waiting outside.

"David, do you know if Alvin is doing any better?" Miss Miller asked Dave quietly.

"I don't know, the hospital didn't call this morning." Dave said as he started his car. "And because of that, I'm nervous."

"I understand, David." Miss Miller said as she watched his drive off towards the hospital with the rest of the kids.

When they finally got to hospital Dave rushed in and went straight to the main desk.

"I'm here for my son, _Alvin Seville._" Dave told the lady who was sitting there.

"Very well, room three hundred and two." She responded.

They all hurried to elevator, and it was taking an unusually long time. Brittany got sick of waiting and proceeded to run up the stairs, Dave was going to stop her but he was stopped by Eleanor who gave him a 'let her go' look.

Brittany wasn't the fittest student in the school, she wasn't the fastest, and she definitely didn't have the most stamina, but her determination for Alvin overcame all her limits and she made it up all the stairs faster than anyone else ever could.

When Brittany entered Alvin's hospital room, she was both relieved and disappointed, relieved because he didn't look any worse, but disappointed because he didn't look any better, just… the same. She silently made her way across the room and up to Alvin's bed. He was wearing an oxygen mask still, he had numerous tubes going in and out of his body, and he was hooked up to a ECG machine which monitored his heart-beat. She just gently grabbed his hand and started rubbing it, _'You have to make it through this Alvin…'_ She thought before she raised his hand up and kissed it.

Just then Dr. Thomas and a nurse walked into the room with Dave, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor.

"Well, I have good news for you all." Dr. Thomas began. "Alvin has made it through the night and he will definitely live."

"That's wonderful!" Dave said as he looked towards Alvin.

"Also, Alvin's coma has lightened. He should regain consciousness within the next few days." Dr. Thomas said and smiled as everyone started to cheer. "I must say, I almost gave up hope last night, but he pulled through. He must have a very loving family that he looks forward to coming home to." Dr. Thomas said as he left the room with the nurse.

Brittany's mind was going wild, Alvin was really going to be okay, and Brittany promised herself that she was going to help Alvin anyway she could… it was the _least_ she could do.

Hours passed, Miss Miller had gotten to the hospital, but Brittany just sat there are watched as the nurse gave Alvin medicine, operated the machines, and basically took care of him. If she was going to take care of him after he woke up, she would need to learn everything. Even though just watching taught Brittany a lot, she had numerous questions that she would eventually need answers to. Before she could ask however, Dr. Thomas came into the room again.

"I'm sorry, but rules are rules… you must all leave for the night." Dr. Thomas said as he put on a small smile.

There wasn't much objection this time, everyone was tired and in a much better mood than yesterday. Brittany had been holding Alvin's hand ever since they first entered the hospital, and she didn't want to stop now, but she knew she had no choice.

"You're going to be okay, Alvin." Brittany said as she bent down and kissed Alvin on the cheek.

As she started to pull away, her heart stopped as she felt a weak grip tighten around her hand.

"Brittany..." A voice said quietly…

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**That was like... the ULTIMATE cliffhanger! ^^**

**Who, or what, do you think it is?**

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	6. Things Are Finally Looking Up

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Ah, it felt good to get a little sadness off my chest and write something a little comical again.**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 6: Things Are Finally Looking Up**

The room became instantly silent. No one spoke. No one moved. Everyone hoped that the voice would speak again, but when it did not, excitement turned to disappointment. Brittany slowly turned around, _'I'm hearing things…'_ She thought, but when she turned around, she met eyes with a pair of blue eyes.

**(A/N: Alvin has blue eyes in the cartoon and brown-hazel eyes in the CGI version… this is the cartoon version…)**

The pair of blue eyes which she never thought she would get to see again, but here they were, barely opened but glomming with happiness... because they saw _her_.

"Alvin?" Brittany asked as her eyes widened.

"Hey…" Alvin said quietly. "Why does everyone look surprised?"

"Welcome back, Mr. Seville." Dr. Thomas said as he walked over to Alvin's bed. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"I remember talking to Brittany, a guy coming up to us, then… nothing." Alvin said as he rubbed his head lightly. He was weak, after each word, the next would be quieter.

"You were admitted into the hospital because of a gunshot wound." Dr. Thomas explained. "The bullet hit your spine."

"What does that mean?" Alvin asked, his voice was barely auditable at this point.

"If the damage is bad enough, you could be paralyzed." Dr. Thomas said, he had a slight hint of sadness in his voice.

_This_, Alvin understood. His eyes widened and he dropped his head, a few sniffles were heard… he was crying.

"We need to run a few tests before we can tell the extensity of the paralyzation." Dr. Thomas said as he put his hand on Alvin's shoulder. "And who knows?" He said as a warm smile crossed his lips. "There may not be any damage at all."

This thought made Alvin and everybody else smile as well.

"I know it's almost closing time for visitors, but can we please have a few moments with Alvin?" Dave asked the doctor.

"Of course, but make it quick, he needs plenty of rest." Dr. Thomas said as he left the room along with his nurse.

"Alvin, I'm glad you're okay." Dave said warmly. He was about to add to the conversation, but he noticed Brittany giving him the 'Do you mind?' look. "Come on everybody; let's give Alvin and Brittany a minute."

Everyone was reluctant to leave, but they knew that Brittany needed to be alone with Alvin. As they all left to room, it grew silent, the only noise coming from the ECG machine which proved that Alvin was very much alive.

"So…" Alvin began nervously.

"Why?" Brittany asked.

"'Why' what? Alvin responded with another question.

"Why did you do it? Why did you save me?" Brittany asked, her voice had surpassed the level she had wanted to speak at.

Alvin's face grew from confusion, to sadness, and then to madness as his mind processed the question.

"Why... would you even ask me that?" Alvin shouted. He was as mad as he could ever get in his weakened state. He loved her; did he really need another reason?

Brittany was taken by surprise by Alvin's sudden outburst. She didn't expect Alvin to get mad, but she understood why he did. _'Why did I ask him that?'_ Brittany asked herself. She didn't know how Alvin was going to respond to her question, but now, she regretted ever asking it.

"I'm sorry, Alvin." Brittany said quietly.

But Alvin was still angry, _'Why would she ask me that? Doesn't she know I care about her?'_ Alvin screamed inside his head.

"Do you want to know the reason?" Alvin asked quietly.

Brittany didn't respond, she only looked away from him. _'I'm so sorry, Alvin…'_ She went to get up and walk away, but Alvin grabbed her arm.

"Alvin…" Brittany protested as she started to cry. Suddenly, the beeping from the ECG machine had started to pick up quickly. She opened her eyes; Alvin was trying to get out of his bed. Brittany tried to hold him down, he couldn't get out of bed in his condition, despite her efforts, Alvin swatted away her hands. He sat up and rested his hands on Brittany's shoulders.

"Do you want to know the reason?" He repeated as he trailed his hands up her face to wipe the tears from her eyes, he gently pulled her into embrace. "It's because I love you…" He said quietly.

Brittany's eyes widened, she wasn't expecting him to ever say that, especially after what had happened.

"How can you say that?" Brittany whispered as she hugged him back. "It's all my faul-" Brittany began, but she was cut off by Alvin tightening his grip around her body.

"Never… say that again." Alvin demanded. "I would _never_ blame you for what happened." Alvin said as sniffled a few times, _'Great… now I'm crying…' _Alvin thought to himself.

"But if I would've let you explain everything, none of this would've happened." Brittany whispered.

"Don't worry; it's going to be okay. I just wish I hadn't lost your trust…" Alvin said as he pulled away and looked at her in the eyes.

"'Lost my trust'? That's one thing… you could _never_ lose." Brittany replied quickly.

They sat there staring at each other for a few moments, every second Alvin's heart was racing faster, it was proven by the ECG machine's beeping, hearing this made Brittany giggle slightly. Brittany decided to make the first move; she slowly closed her eyes and pushed her head towards Alvin's. He saw this coming; he nervously gulped but pushed his head forward as well. Soon their foreheads touched, but they still came closer, their lips only barely an inch apart now, but they continued pushing. Then, it happened… their lips met and their minds raced.

This was a whole new feeling for both of them, they were still kids, but they knew what they felt… it was love. A feeling, a power, an emotion stronger than all the others, and they both were currently drowning in it. Neither stopped to take a breath, neither wanted the moment to end, it just felt so… perfect. It was a true kiss, it wasn't lustful, but it was the ultimate way to show that they cared about each other. However, neither noticed the faint sound of the room's door opening and the quiet gasps of seven souls that were fortunate enough to witness this moment.

Breaking the silence that the room was engulfed in, was the sound of someone nervously clearing their voice. The suddenness made both Alvin and Brittany jump, Brittany had fell back into the chair she was hovering above, and Alvin fell off the bed.

"Alvin!" The voice said as the door swung open. "Are you okay?"

Both Alvin and Brittany looked up, it was Dave.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Alvin said as he stood up and jumped back onto the bed.

"Mr. Seville, you really should try to be more careful." Dr. Thomas said as he walked over the Alvin's bed and made sure nothing had broken. "The good news is, it sure doesn't seem like you are paralyzed." Dr. Thomas said as he offered a gentle smile.

"Really?" Alvin said as he turned to the doctor.

"Well, we can't be sure until we run those tests, but it looks like you'll make a full recovery." Dr. Thomas replied as everyone sighed in relief. "And with that, I must ask you all to leave."

They were all disappointed but they followed the orders the doctor gave them, everyone gave Alvin a hug bye except Brittany who shared a quick kiss instead.

As they all returned home, they knew that they could finally get a good night sleep. They finally had the reassurance they needed to truly believe that Alvin was going to be okay.

_**

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_**At the Seville's house**_

Simon and Theodore had decided that they were going to be okay enough to sleep in their rooms tonight.

"I'm glad that Alvin's going to be okay." Theodore whispered.

"Yeah, me too." Simon replied.

They both smiled at each other and drifted off to sleep.

_**

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_**At the Miller's house**_

Brittany was sitting on her bed holding the broken picture frame, she cleaned all of the broken glass and now she was staring at the picture again. Jeanette and Eleanor had both gone to sleep a few minutes ago and Brittany was up still, she couldn't sleep.

"Brittany?" Miss Miller said as she walked into the Chipettes' bedroom. "What are you still doing awake, dear?"

"I don't know, I guess I can't sleep." Brittany replied, her eyes not shifting from the picture.

"Well, try harder. You girls need to be awake early tomorrow, you're all going to the hospital and nine tomorrow to visit Alvin." Miss Miller said as she kissed Brittany's forehead.

"Okay, good night Miss Miller." Brittany said as she watched her guardian walk out the door.

"Good night, honey." Miss Miller said as she closed the door.

Brittany took one last look at the picture and kissed the part that had Alvin on it. She went to put the picture down, but instead, she decided to keep it in bed with her. She put the picture on the pillow next to her and fell asleep.

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The next morning

Just like she said she would, Miss Miller woke the Chipettes up bright and early.

"Girls!" Miss Miller yelled. "It's time to get up!"

"Okay!" Brittany shouted in response.

Brittany never really liked getting up early, as a matter of fact, she hated it. But today, she had a reason; she was going to see Alvin. To Brittany, he meant more than sleep ever could. Brittany quickly grabbed a clean pair of clothes and ran into the bathroom, just like the previous morning, she ran a bath and when she was done, she dressed herself.

Brittany was thinking about 'dolling' herself up for Alvin, but decided against it. _'He's in the hospital… what am I thinking?'_ Brittany thought as she put her most expensive perfume back into its case. She dressed fancier than she would normally, but not too fancy that anyone would ask questions, she had to keep reminding herself, she was still going to a hospital no matter _who_ she was going to see.

When Brittany ran downstairs she found Jeanette and Eleanor eating breakfast with Miss Miller, they were already showered, dressed, and almost ready to go.

"Good morning, dear." Miss Miller said warmly. "Would you like a plate?"

"Sure." Brittany answered with a smile on her face.

"It seems like Brittany's finally in a good mood." Eleanor whispered to Jeanette.

"What was that?" Brittany asked, eyeing the two.

"Oh, nothing." Jeanette replied.

"I _thought_ I heard my name being used." Brittany said as she continued looking at the two suspiciously.

"It was nothing, Brittany, really." Eleanor said quickly. Brittany hated it when people talked about anything behind her back… especially if it was about her. '_If there's something that needs to be said, why must they keep it a secret?'_ Brittany thought to herself.

"Whatever." Brittany replied bitterly.

"Calm down you three, no fighting today." Miss Miller scolded. "Here you go, dear." Miss Miller said as she handed Brittany a plate of food.

They all eat in silence before someone had the nerve to break it.

"When do you think Alvin can come home?" Jeanette asked.

"Well, soon hopefully." Miss Miller answered. "But to be honest, I don't really know."

Brittany was a little disappointed to hear this answer, but she quickly perked herself up and washed her plate.

"When are we leaving?" Brittany asked, her voice showing her enthusiasm.

"As soon as you girls are done." Miss Miller replied as she took the plate from Brittany. "I'll do the dishes, you three make sure you have everything."

"Okay." They replied as they headed upstairs.

Eleanor looked around the room, _'I have everything.'_ She told herself. Jeanette ran down her simple checklist and felt content when she found everything checked, _'I have everything.'_ Jeanette told herself. Brittany on the other hand, was having more trouble. For one, she was deciding what _not_ to bring, _'I need that, need that, need that…'_ Brittany told herself as she went around the room and grabbed random things that she would most certainly _not_ need.

"Brittany, perhaps it would be smarter to travel more… lightly…" Eleanor said as she stood watching her.

"Excuse me?" Brittany said, giving her the famous 'eye' Brittany was known for. It meant, 'Don't mess with me or else…'

"Oh, nothing…" Eleanor said under her breath and sighed.

Brittany felt happy that she had an impression over her sister; she turned back to what she was doing and slightly gasped. She had started to pack just about everything she owned, _'Maybe Eleanor's right… I can't even spend the night…'_ Brittany thought as she silently pouted.

"Girls, are you ready?" Miss Miller asked from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah!" Brittany said, answering for all three of them. "Let's go." Brittany said as she headed out of the bedroom door.

When they finally got to the hospital they met up with the boys and Dave at the entrance, this time Brittany controlled herself instead of running up the stairs. When they finally did get to Alvin's room, they found him eating and watching cartoons on TV. Apparently they were funny cartoons because you could hear his laughter numerous feet away from his room.

"Well, looks like someone's feeling better." Dave said as they entered Alvin's room.

"Hi, guys." Alvin said as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Hey, Alvin." Brittany said as she batted her eyelashes are him.

"H-Hi, Brittany…" Alvin said as he pulled on the collar of his shirt, making it obvious he was nervous. This response made Brittany giggle to herself.

"Oh, hello." Dr. Thomas said as he walked into the room. "I'm glad you're all here, we just analyzed the tests for Alvin."

"How is he?" Dave asked nervously.

"I'll have you all know, there is no permanent damage." Dr. Thomas said as he watched the family shortly celebrate. "Alvin, you're going to be a little sore for a couple weeks, but you should fully recover."

"Awesome!" Alvin said as he raised his fist in the air, he quickly retracted his arm and winced in pain. But he laughed at it, and so did everyone else.

For the next few hours, the family talked like they normally would. Everyone except Brittany was sitting in the chairs around the room; Brittany was lying next to Alvin with her head on his chest and his arm around her. At first the scene caused their family to 'Aw' and 'Ooh' at them, but they eventually got past it and were now ignoring it.

"I'll be right back." Brittany said as she wiggled out of Alvin's arms.

"Where are you going?" Alvin asked, slightly worried that she wouldn't be coming back.

"Well, if you _must_ know, I need to use the little girls' room." Brittany said in a childish tone. "I think I can handle it myself, don't you?" Brittany said as she stared at Alvin for a few seconds before walking off.

It made everyone laugh at the scene and made Alvin blush in embarrassment. _'This is my chance…'_ Alvin thought as Brittany closed the door behind her.

"Have they found him yet?" Alvin asked quietly.

"Found who?" Dave asked chuckling still, he thought Alvin was still joking around, but seeing the seriousness in Alvin's face forced him to become serious as well.

"The guy who shot me… who almost shot Brittany, have they found him yet?" Alvin repeated.

"Well… no…" Dave muttered out.

"I should have known they wouldn't be able to find him." Alvin said, unusually bitterly.

"Don't worry, Alvin." Dave began. "They're going to find him, and until they do, the police are going to watch over you and Brittany."

"Dave… they shouldn't even worry about it, I'm not going to let _anything_ hurt Brittany, I'll die before I let that happen." Alvin said as he looked down at the bed.

Alvin's small speech made everyone gasp with surprise, Alvin would usually never talk like this, did her really love Brittany _that_ much? Alvin waited for Brittany to leave the room because he didn't want her to worry, however, unknown to him, she was listening. Brittany was hiding next to the door to the room, she heard everything. She had been worrying about Alvin for the past few days that she never considered what might happen, _'What if he came back?'_ Brittany asked herself, but she battled that thought, _'Alvin would protect me…'_ Brittany concluded before she walked back into the hospital room.

After Brittany re-entered the room, everyone grew silent. While they didn't know, Brittany knew what they were talking about so she didn't find the need to ask around. She just simply hopped up onto Alvin's bed and cuddled next to him again.

A few more hours had passed; it was almost time for visitors to leave.

"Alright, well you all know the drill." Dr. Thomas said as he walked back into the room. "Oh, and if Alvin keeps recovering at this rate, he'll be able to return home Wednesday."

Everyone thanked the doctor and said good-bye to Alvin before they headed back into their cars.

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At the Seville's house

"Alright boys, get ready for bed." Dave said as he opened the front door. "You both have school tomorrow."

"Without Alvin?" Theodore asked in disbelief.

"Yes, without Alvin." Dave answered firmly. "Once school is over, I'll pick you both up and you can see Alvin then."

"Okay…" Simon and Theodore mumbled before they went to bed.

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At the Miller's house

"School?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, tomorrow is Monday, and that means that it's time to go back to school." Miss Miller said quickly. "Now go get ready for bed."

Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor all muttered an 'okay' before they walked off. They quickly brushed their teeth, changed into their pajamas, and went to bed.

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**Hm, so Alvin's going to alright... that's good news!**

**But what will happen at school tomorrow?**

**It's called reviewing, all it takes is a few words and a click of that button down there...**


	7. The Watcher

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**I had 'fun' writing this chapter... lol**

**It sucessfully got some of my anger out! ^^**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 7: The Watcher**

Knowing that Alvin was going to be fine and was going to hopefully return home in a few days helped everyone get another good night of sleep. Nobody wanted to return to school, but they knew they had to.

"Girls, time to wake up!" Miss Miller yelled.

"Ugh!" Brittany replied.

"Brittany, just get up." Eleanor said. She and Jeanette were already out of bed and getting ready.

"Why bother? It's just school…" Brittany asked as she sat up.

"Because Miss Miller wants us to get a good education." Jeanette replied.

"Whatever." Brittany said as she went into the bathroom.

Eleanor and Jeanette looked at each other and giggled softly before they went down the stairs to join Miss Miller.

"Hi girls, where's Brittany?" Miss Miller asked, noticing Brittany wasn't with her sisters.

"She's getting ready." Eleanor answered.

"Brittany! You better not take forever!" Miss Miller screamed.

"I know!" Brittany replied.

About ten minutes passed before Brittany walked back down the stairs.

"Okay, now let's hurry before you'll be late." Miss Miller said as she grabbed her keys. "Brittany, I'm guessing you're going to want to go see Alvin after school."

"Can I?" Brittany asked.

"Well, I don't see why not." Miss Miller replied. "Just make sure you're home by four, I don't want you to be out too late."

"Okay." Brittany said quickly.

They finally made it to school, Brittany still didn't want to go, but knowing that she was going to see Alvin afterwards made it easier for her. As they walked into the school, they found Simon and Theodore by their lockers.

"Hi, boys." Brittany said as she walked towards them with her sisters by her side.

"Hello." Simon replied.

"Hi." Theodore said, following his brother's lead.

"Brittany, are you going to the hospital after school?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, why?" Brittany answered.

"Well, Dave wants to throw Alvin a 'welcome home' party, so we're going to start decorating today." Simon said as he closed his locker. "While you're at the hospital make sure Alvin doesn't find out."

"Don't worry; I'm the only one going today." Brittany said. "Besides, you can trust me." She said confidently.

Everyone rolled their eyes before the first period bell rang and everyone went their separate ways. _'Ugh, English…'_ Brittany thought as she walked to her first class. When she sat down, she looked to her left, to her disappointment, Alvin wasn't next her. She had dreamed that the day would come where Alvin wasn't in school, one day of peace… but now, she wanted him back. Throughout the class, Brittany couldn't concentrate on anything. She tried to pay attention but, it was no use. Her teacher, Ms. Parker however, noticed. As the bell that signaled the end of class rang, all the students were ready to leave.

"See you tomorrow, guys." Ms. Parker said as she opened to door. "Wait Brittany, can we talk for a bit?"

"Um, okay." Brittany replied as she walked over to her teacher.

Ms. Parker was a fairly pretty, middle-aged woman. She taught English, and was good at it. Most students liked her, including Brittany. She wasn't usually in a bad mood, and was still young enough to know what it was like being a kid, so she would give a lot of breaks to her students.

"Brittany, I noticed you weren't really paying attention in class today." Ms. Parker began. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Well…" Brittany started, _'Wait, I don't want to tell her about Alvin.'_ She thought. "No." Brittany quickly finished.

"Are you sure?" Ms. Parker asked.

Brittany simply nodded, and began walking away.

"Would this have anything to do with Alvin?" Ms. Parker asked.

"How do you know about Alvin?" Brittany asked as she looked back up at Ms. Parker.

"Brittany, I'm still his teacher." Ms. Parker said, but she noticed that Brittany still didn't understand. "Alvin's father told Principal Talbot, and Principal Talbot told all of Alvin's teachers."

"Oh." That was all Brittany could respond with.

"Do you know how Alvin's doing?" Ms. Parker asked. "Besides knowing that he's currently _in_ the hospital, I don't know anything else."

"He's doing a lot better, he might be coming home Wednesday." Brittany answered.

"That's good news!" Ms. Parker said happily. Ms. Parker didn't exactly _like_ Alvin in her class; it was mainly because he would always disrupt it. But regardless, she still cared about him. "Would it be okay if our class made a 'get well' card for him?"

"I'm sure he'd love that." Brittany replied as she laughed.

"I'm glad." Ms. Parker said as she sat in her chair. "Good-bye, Brittany."

"Good-bye, Ms. Parker." Brittany said happily.

And with that, Brittany left the room. _'That wasn't so bad…'_ Brittany thought as she walked towards her next destination, History.

This class was going better than English, Brittany still couldn't focus, but it wasn't Alvin this time… it was because History was boring. Her teacher, Mr. Brown, promised that they were going to enjoy their next unit, Rome, a lot more. But for now, they were stuck in China.

Even though Brittany almost dozed off during class, multiple times, Mr. Brown didn't worry about it too much, it was actually normal for Brittany to be bored during class. In fact, it was perfectly normal for both her _and_ Alvin to doze off during class. Normal, but not acceptable.

"Am I boring you, Ms. Miller?" Mr. Brown asked as he stopped his lesson and stared at Brittany.

_This_ woke Brittany up. She was hoping that he might be talking to another 'Miller', but Brittany and her sisters were the only 'Millers' in the entire school, and this was one of the classes Jeanette and Eleanor weren't in with Brittany.

"Um… I…" Brittany stammered, but sighed a breath of relief as the bell rang. _'Phew…'_ Brittany thought as she quickly darted out of the room, Mr. Brown thought about stopping her, but decided not to and prepared for his next class.

Brittany's next class was Science, _'Finally, a class with someone to talk to!'_ Brittany thought, referring to the fact that all of the Sevilles and Millers had this class together. Although Alvin still was not going to be in the class, she found comfort knowing that her sisters were going to be there, _'Even Simon and Theodore are going to be there…'_ Brittany thought as she continued to walk through the halls.

As she walked, she felt a very cold and unusual draft of wind pass over her, sending shivers up her spine. The surprise was enough to catch Brittany off-guard and make her drop her books.

"Well, that's great…" Brittany mumbled to herself.

But while she was still on the ground, she looked around. For a school, it was quiet, too quiet. No students or faculty were in the halls. _'That's weird…'_ Brittany thought to herself as she let out a short nervous chuckle.

As Brittany gathered her books, she looked out the window. There was a van in the distance, but its appearance gave away its innocence. It was a dark black color, and although all of its windows were tinted, Brittany could tell, whoever was in the van… was staring back at her.

Brittany continued to stare at the van for a few minutes before the bell signaling the beginning of class rang. _'Oh no, I'm going to be late!'_ Brittany shouted in her mind as she ran through the halls. She ran through the halls for a while before she started seeing another late student or walking teacher, but she continued taking turn-after-turn to make it to her destination. As she turned the last corner, she barged through the door, attracting much more attention than she had hoped for.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to join us, Ms. Miller." The teacher, Ms. Harris announced.

"Well… I… I…" Brittany stuttered.

"Just take your seat…" Ms. Harris said under her breath.

Brittany tried to explain herself again, only to be cut off by Ms. Harris again as she pointed to Brittany's assigned seat. Brittany reluctantly made her way to her seat, it was a group seat, and the members consisted of all the Millers and Sevilles.

"Why are you late, Brittany?" Eleanor whispered.

"I-" Brittany began.

"Quiet in the back!" Ms. Harris said, cutting Brittany off.

"I'll tell you later." Brittany whispered.

"Today class, we'll be learning about 'Magnetism'." Ms. Harris announced, earning a sigh from Brittany. Ms. Harris caught it, but chose to ignore it. "Now, does anyone know what magnetism is?"

The class was silent.

"Okay, I'm sure many of you have those pictures that stick to your fridge in your kitchen, right?" Ms. Harris asked, earning a lot of nods and some responses. "Okay, okay, those are 'magnets'."

"Ms. Harris?" A girl asked as she raised her hand.

"Yes?" Ms. Harris answered.

"What makes them stick to a fridge?" The girl asked.

"That's what we're going to be learning about today!" Ms. Harris said with joy.

Throughout the rest of the class, Ms. Harris explained how and why magnets stick to certain metals and not others. Afterwards, they were required to run a lab to test which metals a magnet could stick to. However, it was a two-partner lab. Obviously, the Chipmunks and Chipettes paired up with their counterparts, but Alvin wasn't there, so Brittany was left alone.

"Ms. Miller, do you need a partner?" Ms. Harris asked, noticing Brittany standing by herself. "Where's Alvin today?"

"You haven't heard?" Brittany asked as she continued eyeing the floor.

"Heard what?" Ms. Harris asked. "I haven't checked my email in a few days, is there something I _should _know about?"

"No, Alvin's just… sick." Brittany answered; she wanted to avoid talking about Alvin's real condition as best as she could so she resorted to being broad with her answers. "I just... want to work alone."

"Are you sure?" Ms. Harris, she spotted the uneasiness in Brittany's eyes and decided to push the topic forward a little.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Brittany said quietly.

"Alright, get to work." Ms. Harris sighed as she walked back to her desk. She continued watching all of the students work at their lab stations, but she kept most of her focus on Brittany. Ms. Harris glanced up at the clock, _'It's almost the end of class, there's only one way to find out what's going on…'_ She thought to herself as she opened her email.

The computers in the school were slower than they have ever been, and Ms. Harris was a very impatient person. But she kept herself clam as she waited, suddenly the bell rang and all the students ran out of the class.

"Wait!" Ms. Harris yelled. "Britt-" She began, but it was too late, all of her students were gone. _'Damn…' _She thought as she walked over to her computer, _'Now you want to load…'_ She thought bitterly. She noticed an email titled, 'To All Teachers of Alvin Seville', intrigued she opened the letter and began reading it.

'_Alvin Seville has been reported to have been in an accident and is currently recovering in a hospital.'_

The email may have been short, but it shocked Ms. Harris regardless. Like most of the other teachers, she never liked Alvin as a _student_, but she truly cared for him. She saw much potential in Alvin and was upset to hear about the news. _'I'll need to get a few details out of Brittany later…'_ Ms. Harris thought before she started getting ready for her next class.

Back in the halls, it was finally lunch time and the Chipmunks and Chipettes were walking to their lockers.

"So, why were you late, Brittany?" Eleanor asked again.

"Oh, I dropped my books on the floor… and notic-" Brittany began, but she decided not to tell them _everything_, '_I don't need to worry them…'_ Brittany thought. "And… just took a while getting back to class." Brittany finished.

Of course, they all knew it wasn't the truth, but they decided that Brittany was probably having enough trouble throughout the day. Brittany wasn't the only one who was getting stopped by teachers to ask about Alvin, and although they weren't having as much trouble, none of them could truly concentrate in their classes.

As they all walked into the lunchroom, they took their normal seats and started eating. There was some casual conversation, every once-in-a-while someone would speak up and ask a question which earned a few moments of talking. But Brittany wasn't much of a talker today, and that was unusual. _Usually,_ Brittany would gloat about how her day was going, but not today. Today, Brittany just wanted the school day to end as quickly as possible. She just sat there and slowly played with her food.

"Hey, Brittany?" Theodore asked.

"Yeah?" Brittany mumbled as she continued to stir her mash potatoes.

"Do you know her?" Theodore asked again.

"Who?" Brittany asked.

Theodore didn't speak again, he simply pointed. Brittany turned to where he was pointing; there was a girl who was staring at their direction. It wasn't a friendly stare, the girl had an angry look to her face and it was obvious, she was staring at Brittany. Brittany stared back, but not in the same angry way. _'I wonder what her problem is…'_ Brittany thought as she got up to throw her trash away.

While Brittany was at the garbage bin, she looked back towards the direction of the girl… she was gone. Brittany looked around for a moment before she relocated her, she was walking towards Brittany. Brittany began to slightly panic, Brittany wasn't scared but she didn't like the look in the girl's eyes. But it was too late, in a mere couple of seconds, Brittany and the girl stood a few feet from each other. Neither moved any closer, any further, they just stood there and started to stare each other down. However, both knew that a staring battle wasn't going to end anytime soon.

"What's your problem, Miller?" The girl asked bitterly.

"What 'prob-" Brittany began, but she was cut off.

"Listen, I don't know who you think you are." The girl began. "But Alvin is _MY_ man, so just back off!" The girl yelled, it was a mystery how the entire student and teacher hadn't noticed, but for the time being, they were safe from any unwanted attention from teachers or faculty.

Brittany stood there, her mouth was hanging open, but she quickly closed it and fired back.

"Excuse me?" Brittany yelled. Now, they had gotten a few students' attentions, including the Chipmunks and Chipettes. "I have _no_ idea who _you_ think you ar-"

But Brittany cut herself off, she recognized the girl. She was dressed differently then she was Friday night, but Brittany definitely saw it. The girl who was staring her in the face… was the girl who Alvin was tutoring Friday night.

"My name is Rebecca Davidson, you know, just in case you _little_ people forgot." Rebecca stated, obviously boasting herself. "And don't think I don't know what happened to my poor Alvie!" Rebecca shouted.

Brittany tried to shout back, but Rebecca quickly cut her off.

"You have some nerve, you know that?" Rebecca screamed. She was attracting more and more attention every time she would breathe. Most people, especially girls, knew not to miss with two specific people, Brittany Miller and Rebecca Davidson. "DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN COME DOWN HERE AND ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED?"

Rebecca was literally screaming at the top of her lungs now, she was past furious, her entire face was burning red in anger. Brittany tried to reply, but Rebecca would quickly silence her every time she would try to talk.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT, ALVIN BLAMES YOU!" Rebecca screamed.

That one sentence stuck to Brittany's mind, but she remembered Alvin telling her that he would _never_ blame her. Getting her confidence back, Brittany tried to speak up, but Rebecca kept her down.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE ALVIN; HE DOESN'T NEED SOME BRATTY GIRL TO FOLLOW HIM AROUND!" Rebecca screamed again. Brittany was getting more mad every second now. "ESPECIALLY AFTER SHE ALMOST GOT HIM KILL-"

_SLAP!_

It was an ear-piercing sound; it caused kids all around the lunchroom to wince with pain. Brittany had slapped Rebecca across the face, and now there was a bright red handprint across Rebecca's left cheek. The whole room remained silent; everyone just stared at the two. It usually took a lot to get an entire lunchroom to remain silent; it would even take the principle a hard time to do it. But not this time, everyone had stopped talking, everyone had stopped eating, everyone's full attention was now on Brittany and Rebecca.

Brittany ignored the pain in her hand and continued to stare at Rebecca; she was now on the floor holding her cheek with her hand.

"Don't talk to me about who Alvin deserves, because I know it's definitely not you!" Brittany screamed.

Before Brittany had the chance to do anything else, she felt two people grab her by the arms. She turned to find Jeanette and Eleanor; they were both looking angrily at Rebecca.

"How dare you say that to Brittany!" Eleanor shouted.

"Yeah!" Jeanette added. "You're a… a…" Jeanette tried, but she definitely wasn't the best trash talker.

"A witch!" Eleanor added as she looked towards Jeanette.

"WITH A CAPITAL 'B'!" Brittany yelled, causing a few students to cover their mouths.

And with that, Brittany yanked her arms out of her sisters' grasps and walked out of the lunchroom. She quickly walked to her locker and grabbed the books for her next class, Math, and walked towards the classroom.

When she arrived, many students questioned her about the 'incident' with Rebecca but Brittany successfully ignored them. About halfway through the class, the loudspeaker was activated.

'**Brittany Miller, please report to the Principal's office.'** The voice announced. Brittany simply sighed, picked up her books, and walked towards the main office. When she arrived, she was relieved and confused to _not_ see Rebecca there as well.

"Please sit down." Principal Talbot said as he pulled out a chair which Brittany reluctantly sat on. "Now, tell me what the problem is."

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked, obviously playing 'dumb'.

"Well, it's come to my attention that you and Rebecca Davidson interrupted a lunch period which ended up with you striking her." Principal Talbot said, playing along with Brittany's act. "Listen, Mr. Seville has kept me posted about Alvin's condition, and I can understand why you're upset."

"You do?" Brittany asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I do." Principal Talbot responded. "I talked to Rebecca already and told her that what she said was out of line, but understand this, that gave you no right to physically harm her."

"I understand." Brittany sighed.

"Good, now return to class." Principal Talbot said as he opened his office door.

Brittany quickly left the office and returned to her Math class. For the rest of the school day, she could concentrate even less. Her thoughts would often drift from Alvin, to Rebecca, to what Principal Talbot had told her.

Finally, it was the end of the day and Brittany was at her locker packing her book bag.

"Hey, Brittany." Eleanor said as her and Jeanette walked up to her. "Did you get in trouble?"

"Actually, no." Brittany replied.

"That's surprising." Jeanette said quietly. "Are you going to see Alvin?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving now." Brittany said as she closed her locker.

"You're going to walk?" Eleanor asked.

"Well, Dave isn't bringing Simon and Theodore to the hospital, and Miss Miller isn't home, so I have no other choice." Brittany answered.

"Okay, just be safe." Jeanette said as she and Eleanor gave Brittany a quick hug.

"I will." Brittany said as she started to walk off.

"Brittany!" Eleanor shouted. "Remember, Miss Miller wants you home by four!"

"I know!" Brittany shouted in response.

Brittany then exited the school and started walking towards the hospital. _'This is going to be a long walk…'_ Brittany thought as she sighed. But she did it, in about fifteen minutes, Brittany had reached the hospital. She quickly entered and headed towards Alvin's room, but he wasn't there. She quickly stopped a doctor as he was walking down one of the hallways.

"Excuse me?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, little lady?" The doctor asked in a happily tone.

"Is this still _Alvin Seville's_ room?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, but currently he is in muscular therapy." The doctor answered as he checked his clipboard. "He should be back any minute." The doctor said before he walked off.

Brittany went back in Alvin's room and decided to wait, she checked the clock, it was already three twenty-five. _'Please hurry, Alvin…'_ Brittany thought as she twiddled her thumbs. After about five minutes of waiting, Alvin came into the room by himself on crutches.

"Hi, Brittany." Alvin said as he sat onto the bed. "Sorry I kept you waiting."

"No problem." Brittany said as she walked over to him. "So, how do you feel?"

"Eh, better I guess." Alvin replied. "I can actually move around now."

"That's always a plus." Brittany giggled as she jumped up onto his bed and laid down next to him.

Alvin watched her for a few seconds before he put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

"Brittany?" Alvin said quietly.

"Hmm?" Brittany mumbled.

"Do you love me?" Alvin asked as he looked at her.

The question caused Brittany to quickly jump out of the sleep she was drifting into and stare directly at him, matching his gaze.

"Of course I love you, Alvin." Brittany said firmly. "Why would you ever think I didn't?" Brittany asked in her own defense. _'I didn't do something wrong, did I?'_ Brittany thought nervously.

"I know, but…" Alvin began. "Would you still love me, even if I was paralyzed?" Alvin asked almost silently, he had wanted to ask her that question for a while, but he was absolutely dreading what the answer might be.

"Alvin…" Brittany said quietly. "I would always love you… no matter what." Brittany said as she kissed him on the cheek.

Alvin stared at her for a moment before putting a gentle smile and kissing her, this time, on the lips. They both felt their hearts start racing, they didn't want the moment to end, but Brittany was the first to suggest pulling away. As they parted, Brittany stared into his eyes.

"I love you, Alvin." Brittany said as she rested her head on his chest, falling asleep.

"I love you too, Brittany." Alvin said as he closed his eyes, falling asleep as well.

About an hour passed before Brittany woke up, she found herself sleeping on Alvin which made her giggle. _'Oh no, what time is it?'_ Brittany thought as she looked at the clock. It was four forty-five.

"Oh no!" Brittany squealed, causing Alvin to wake up.

"What is it?" Alvin asked.

"I was supposed to be home by four!" Brittany screamed as she jumped out of Alvin's bed. "I need to leave, bye Alvin!" Brittany yelled before she darted out of the room.

"Bye… Brittany…" Alvin whispered.

Brittany quickly ran through the halls of the hospital before finally making it outside. She stopped for a minute to catch her breath, but she felt a sudden cold and unfriendly draft of wind sweep over her. She looked up and saw that the same black van she had seen in school was now parked in the hospital's parking lot.

'_It's just a coincidence…'_ Brittany reassured herself as she began walking home. After walking a few blocks, she looked behind herself; the van was now behind her. That's when she knew, whoever was in the van, _definitely_ was following her.

Brittany felt a sudden overtake of fear as she ran down the streets towards her home, she looked behind her, the van was following her every move. Every turn that Brittany would take, the van would also make. Finally, Brittany arrived home and quickly shut the door behind herself as she entered the house.

"Brittany Miller!" Miss Miller yelled as she walked out of the kitchen. "Where have you bee-" Miss Miller began, but she was cut off by Brittany panting hard and clinging to the door. "What happened, dear?"

Brittany was going to tell Miss Miller everything, but she decided that she had too much to worry about. She didn't need to worry about Brittany for something that might have meant nothing in the first place.

"I was chased by a… dog." Brittany replied quietly.

"'A… dog?'" Miss Miller repeated, cocking at eyebrow in the process.

"Yeah, it just scared me." Brittany said quickly.

"Well, it's better than what I thought." Miss Miller said as she wiped the dust off of Brittany's outfit. "Didn't I tell you to be home by four?"

"I'm sorry, I was at the hospital and Alvin and I fell asleep." Brittany said apologetically.

"Well, just make sure it doesn't happen again." Miss Miller said as she headed off for the kitchen. "Now, go get cleaned up, dinner is in a half-hour."

Brittany smiled and walked up the stairs, she entered the room to find her sisters on their beds. Eleanor was doing homework, and Jeanette was reading a book.

"Look who decided to return." Eleanor said sarcastically.

Brittany simply looked at her and stuck out her tongue.

"Mature…" Eleanor said as she rolled her eyes.

"What happened, Brittany?" Jeanette asked as she placed a book marker in her book.

"If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to tell _anyone_?" Brittany asked as she closed the bedroom door.

Both Eleanor and Jeanette hesitated at first, they both hated keeping secrets, but they both agreed silently.

"Okay, well…" Brittany began. "I was at the hospital with Alvin, we fell asleep, then when I was coming back, a black van chased me."

"A black van, huh?" Eleanor asked in disbelief.

"Are you sure it was following you?" Jeanette asked, slightly more serious than Eleanor.

"Well, it followed me from the hospital all the way her, plus, I saw it outside of school today." Brittany answered.

"You know, it _could_ just be a coincidence…" Eleanor said.

"I wouldn't be so sure, I'd stay away from the van if I were you, Brittany." Jeanette said quietly.

"Trust me, Jeanette." Brittany began. "I will."

"Girls!" Miss Miller yelled. "Dinner is ready!"

"Okay, come on, let's eat." Brittany said as she opened the bedroom door and headed downstairs.

For a few minutes, everyone ate in silence. Miss Miller had made chicken and all four of them had been digging into it.

"Brittany, I received a phone call from Mr. Talbot." Miss Miller said casually, causing Brittany to choke for a few seconds. "Anything you want to explain."

"I… I… I…" Brittany stammered.

"Brittany, you know we don't condone violence in this house." Miss Miller said as she shook her finger at Brittany.

"But Miss Miller!" Eleanor said quickly. "You have no idea what she said to Brittany!"

"It doesn't matter." Miss Miller responded. "Brittany, you shouldn't have hit her."

"I'm sorry…" Brittany said quietly.

"Thank you for apologizing, you're just lucky Mr. Talbot isn't going to hold you to this." Miss Miller said quietly.

"Am I in trouble?" Brittany asked.

"I'm sorry, Brittany." Miss Miller began. "I can't just _overlook_ this, no TV for the rest of tonight." Miss Miller said firmly. She could never be _too_ hard with the girls; besides, Brittany was going through a tough time because of Alvin's accident.

"Okay." Brittany said quietly.

"Okay, now, go do your homework." Miss Miller said as she picked up the girls' empty plates and carried them into the kitchen.

Brittany slowly climbed the stairs while being followed her. As they made it into their bedroom, Brittany sighed and began unpacking her book bag.

"Brittany, do you need any help?" Jeanette asked quietly.

"No, I should be fine." Brittany responded.

A few hours passed, Brittany had finally finished her homework and was now sitting on her bed doing nothing. She was bored; they weren't allowed to have a computer, cell phones, or even a TV of their own. But, she wasn't allowed to watch TV either way.

It was a half-hour before their bedtime and Eleanor and Jeanette came into the bedroom with Miss Miller.

"Okay, girls." Miss Miller began. "I want you to go to sleep early; you're going to have a busy day tomorrow." Miss Miller said before she walked into her own room.

Brittany sighed before she changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and got into bed. _'Two more days until Alvin can come home…'_ Brittany thought before she fell asleep.

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**Hmm, now what could that van want?**

**You'll have to continue reading the story to find out! ^^**

**Read and REVIEW people! Just Press that button down there.**


	8. Taken

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**This is a very... LONG and happy/depressing chapter...**

**But things start getting interesting!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 8: Taken**

_**The next morning**_

It was six o' clock in the morning and the alarm clock started going off, only to be quickly caught and turned off by Eleanor. She began to stir in her bed before finally sitting up and gently rubbing her eyes. Eleanor quickly turned her head to her right and saw Jeanette sleeping, but Brittany wasn't in her bed. '_She's probably in the bathroom…'_ Eleanor concluded as she let out a long but muffled yawn.

Eleanor quietly slid out of her bed and walked over to her dresser; she slowly grabbed her hair brush and began gently brushing her hair. _'Whatever, I'll just take a bath now.'_ Eleanor thought, slightly aggravated that she wasn't really fixing her hair.

Eleanor sighed and opened her dresser to get clothes, as she was heading for the bedroom door; it suddenly opened, almost hitting Eleanor. The surprise was enough to knock Eleanor off of her feet and onto the floor. Eleanor slowly opened her eyes and saw Brittany standing at the door with a worried expression on her face.

"Eleanor, are you okay?" Brittany asked as she ran over to her baby sister. "I didn't hit you, did I?"

"No, I'm okay." Eleanor said as she rose to her feet and started to lightly rub her head. _'Wait, why is Brittany is even up?' _Eleanor thought, confused. "Brittany, what are you doing up so early?" Eleanor asked, slightly more polite than in her mind.

"I just thought I would wake up early for a change, anything wrong with that?" Brittany responded, slightly defensive.

"No, I guess not." Eleanor replied. "_If_ it was the truth…"

"You don't believe me?" Brittany asked.

Eleanor looked at Brittany and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine." Brittany said angrily. "I wanted to go see Alvin before school, so I got up early and asked Miss Miller."

"And?" Eleanor replied.

"_And_ she said no." Brittany said quietly.

"Brittany," Eleanor began. "Alvin sleeps in more than you do, I doubt he'd even be awake right now."

Brittany's face turned red with embarrassment, '_I didn't think about that…'_ She thought.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower." Eleanor said as she grabbed her clothes off of the floor. "Wake up Jeanette in a few minutes."

And with that, Eleanor left the room. Brittany let out a long sight before turning her sights to Jeanette, 'I _better wake her up…'_ Brittany thought as she walked over to Jeanette's bed.

"Jeanette, wake up." Brittany whispered. Brittany was prepared to have a hard time waking Jeanette up, but as soon as Brittany called her name, Jeanette's eyes shot open.

"Brittany?" Jeanette yawned. "Where's Eleanor?"

"Eleanor went to take a bath and she told me to wake you up." Brittany explained.

"You know," Jeanette laughed. "It's actually kind of funny…"

"What is?" Brittany asked curiously.

"I would usually wake _you_ up in the morning, and you would give me a hard time." Jeanette giggled. "But now you need to wake _me_ up, and I get up with no problem."

Brittany didn't respond, she simply rolled her eyes and walked away. Brittany lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep. No luck. _'Ugh… I can't go back asleep… I'm already up…'_ Brittany thought bitterly.

Suddenly, Eleanor came back into the room. She was wrapped in a towel and holding her dirty clothes in one hand, and clean clothes in the other.

"Eleanor," Brittany began. "Why don't you just get dressed in the bathroom?" Brittany sighed.

"I don't know." Eleanor shrugged. "Maybe because there's more room in here?" Eleanor implied.

"Whatever." Brittany mumbled.

Brittany tried to shut her eyes again, still, no use. She sat up and looked to her left, Eleanor began dressing herself. Brittany looked to her right, Jeanette was also dressing herself. _'I wonder if breakfast is ready yet…'_ Brittany thought as she walked out of the room.

Brittany walked down the stairs and became excited when the sweet smell of pancakes greeted her nose. She quickly raced to the kitchen to find Miss Miller baking pancakes, eggs, and toast.

"Good morning, dear." Miss Miller said happily.

Brittany didn't respond, she just silently sat at the table waiting for either food, or her sisters to come out.

"Brittany," Miss Miller began. "You're not still mad at me, are you?"

No response.

"Good morning, Miss Miller." Eleanor and Jeanette said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning." Miss Miller sighed. "Listen Brittany, I know you wanted to see Alvin this morning, but we couldn't."

"Why?" Brittany mumbled.

"Well, for starters," Miss Miller began, slightly aggravated. "The hospital's visiting hours don't even start until eight in the morning."

"Really?" Brittany asked in shock.

"Yes, really," Miss Miller answered. "I _tried_ to tell you this morning but you stormed off before I have the chance."

"Sorry…" Brittany mumbled.

"It's okay, dear." Miss Miller said as she put her hand on Brittany's shoulder. "You can still see Alvin after school today."

"I can?" Brittany asked quickly.

"Yes, you can." Miss Miller answered. "Just remember to stay clear of that dog that attacked you yesterday."

"Dog?" Brittany whispered. "Oh yeah, I know." Brittany said, remembering her lie she told the day before.

"What dog?" Eleanor whispered to Jeanette.

Jeanette shrugged; they both looked back to Brittany who put her finger on her lips signaling for them to be quiet.

"Oh my goodness," Miss Miller exclaimed. "Look at the time!" It was almost seven forty-five. "You three need to get to school." Miss Miller said as she grabbed her car keys.

When they finally got to school, Miss Miller dropped them off and drove off herself.

"What dog were you talking about, Brittany?" Eleanor finally asked as they walked into the school.

"I told Miss Miller that a dog chased me after school yesterday…" Brittany said quietly.

"Instead of that van?" Jeanette asked.

"Yeah," Brittany sighed. "But you both promised not to tell anyone!" Brittany snapped.

"We know, Brittany." They both said quietly.

"Good," Brittany said happily. "Now let's go see if we can find Simon and Theodore."

As they walked through the halls, they found the two chipmunks at their lockers talking to each other.

"Oh, hi girls." Simon said as he noticed the Chipettes walking towards them.

"Hi." The girls replied.

"Are you still throwing Alvin that party?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, we're almost done decorating." Theodore said.

"Cool, what time is Alvin coming home tomorrow?" Eleanor asked.

"Dave's taking us to pick him up tomorrow after school." Simon answered. "And you three need to be at our house when we get home."

"We can't come with you?" Brittany asked, slightly offended.

"No, Dave wants Alvin to walk in and see you three." Simon said quickly.

"Fine…" Brittany mumbled bitterly.

Before anyone could speak again, the bell signaling homeroom rung and everyone quickly headed out. When Brittany arrived in her homeroom, she quickly sat down and began thinking about the next day. _'Only one more day until Alvin can come home! I need to get a new outfit!'_ Brittany screamed in her head.

As the day went on, she paid more attention in all of her classes which made her teachers happy. Ms. Parker did what she said she was going to do, she went out and bought a 'get well soon' card and had everyone in her class sign it.

"Here you go, Brittany." Ms. Parker said as she handed the card to Brittany. "Tell Alvin that we miss him and hope he'll be back soon."

"Thanks," Brittany said as she smiled. "Alvin's actually coming home tomorrow, but I don't know when he'll be back in school."

"That's wonderful news!" Ms. Parker said happily. "I'm glad to see he's feeling better."

Before Brittany could speak again, the ending bell rang and all the students ran out of the classroom.

"Bye, Ms. Parker!" Brittany said as she ran out of the room.

"Take care, Brittany." Ms. Parker said as she walked back over to her desk.

As Brittany went down the hall, she looked at the card. It was beautiful red card that matched Alvin's signature color perfectly. It had the words, 'get well soon' on the top surrounded by glitter. Inside, it had everyone's signature in it, and next to them, it was a picture of Alvin returning to the school that everyone helped draw.

As Brittany entered her next classroom, she quickly sat down and sighed. _'Ugh… History…'_ Brittany thought bitterly. Mr. Brown wasn't in the room yet so Brittany decided to walk over to window and gaze out of it. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the school's parking lot. Parked in a spot directly across from Brittany's History class… was a black van. Brittany tried to look inside its tinted windows but couldn't make anything out.

"Ms. Miller," A voice said behind her, making her jump in surprise. "Is there something wrong?"

Brittany turned to see Mr. Brown staring at her. She looked around and saw that everyone was in their seats, also looking at her. Brittany blushed and quickly sat down at her desk.

"Thank you." Mr. Brown said before turning his gaze away from Brittany. "Now, while I'm sure all of you are excited to learn more about China's history and culture…"

He was interrupted by every student groaning. Mr. Brown looked at the class and chuckled.

"But, today we're not going to have a regular class." Mr. Brown finished causing everyone to cheer. "What we _will_ be doing, is making a card for Alvin Seville."

This made Brittany's attention actually focus on him.

"I understand that some of you may not understand why, so I'm going to briefly explain." Mr. Brown said quietly. "Alvin is currently in the hospital." Mr. Brown said quickly, causing a few students to gasp.

"Why?" A girl asked.

"Well," Mr. Brown began. "I don't actually know, I _do_ know however, that showing him that we all care for him will help him recover sooner."

For the rest of the class, all of the students, and even Mr. Brown at some points, helped make another card for Alvin. With about five minutes to spare, they finally finished.

"Good job, everyone." Mr. Brown said happily. "Now, can anyone take this to Alvin?"

"I can," Brittany said quickly. "I'm going to see him after school."

Mr. Brown handed the card to Brittany before he walked over to his desk. As the bell rang, everyone was getting ready to leave.

"Brittany, may I please speak to you for a moment?" Mr. Brown said as he opened the classroom door for the rest of the students.

"Yes, Mr. Brown?" Brittany asked as she walked over to her teacher.

"Do you have any details on how Alvin's condition is?" Mr. Brown asked. "I don't know how it happened, or even if Alvin's alright."

For the first time, Brittany saw true sympathy and compassion in Mr. Brown's eyes.

"Well, he's coming home tomorrow." Brittany answered. "And… he was… shot…" Brittany said hesitantly.

"Oh my!" Mr. Brown said in horror. "Well, I'm glad he's okay." Mr. Brown said as he smiled at Brittany. "Now, get to class before you're late."

"Thanks." Brittany said as she ran out of the room and proceeded towards Science.

Like usually, Brittany was late, but not too late today. When Brittany walked it, she expected to be scolded by Ms. Harris, but instead, Ms. Harris didn't seem to notice. Taking her chance, Brittany quickly sat down in her seat before Ms. Harris had the time to turn her attention to the class.

"Alright, class," Ms. Harris said as she got up from her desk. "We're going to be continuing our lab from yesterday, now get to work."

Brittany sighed as everyone got up and went back to their lab stations.

"What's wrong, Brittany?" Theodore asked.

"It's just that this class is so _boring_!" Brittany sighed in frustration.

"I don't find it boring." Simon said.

"Neither do I." Jeanette added.

Brittany rolled her eyes before walking over to her lab station to continue her work… alone.

"Brittany, I heard what happened." Ms. Harris said as she walked over to Brittany. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Brittany chose to ignore the question and continue working.

"Okay," Ms. Harris said quietly, taking the hint that Brittany didn't want to talk about. "Keep up the good work." Ms. Harris said before walking back over to her desk.

As the class went on, Brittany realized that she was way in over her head; it was simply too much work for one person. She had to ask her sisters and the Chipmunks questions every couple minutes to make sure she was doing everything right.

"Simon," Brittany began. "So I just try to see if the magnet will stick to this?"

"Yes, Brittany, that's all you do…" Simon said, slightly annoyed.

Brittany sensed Simon's frustration and was going to apologize before the bell rang.

"Alright, nice work today but remember, tomorrow is the _last_ day before the completed work is due." Ms. Harris said before opening her classroom door.

Again, the Chipmunks and Chipettes split up so that they could each get their lunches. As Brittany walked into the lunchroom with her sisters, she looked around. _'Where's that jerk?'_ Brittany thought as she looked around for Rebecca.

As they sat down with the Chipmunks, they all started eating.

"I noticed that the girl from yesterday isn't here today." Simon said, trying to start a conversation.

"I guess I scared her off." Brittany said confidently.

Everyone rolled their eyes and continued eating. As the lunch period ended, Brittany quickly went to her locker to continue her day at school. _'Next… Spanish'_ Brittany thought as she walked through the halls.

As Brittany entered the room, she noticed that Eleanor and Jeanette were there too.

"What are you guys doing here?" Brittany asked.

"We had to transfer." Eleanor answered.

All three of the sisters had Spanish at that time of the day, but Brittany and Alvin had a different teacher than Jeanette and Eleanor.

"Why would you have to transfer?" Brittany asked in confusion.

"They wouldn't tell us." Jeanette replied quietly.

"Why would th-" Brittany began, but she was cut off by the teacher.

"Ladies, take your seat." The teacher, Ms. King said politely.

The Chipettes reluctantly sat down at their desks and prepared for the class. Today, Ms. King was going to be teaching the class how to use basic pronouns.

Brittany was sitting at her desk, staring into space. It was easy enough to say that Brittany and Alvin were definitely the worse in the class when it came to Spanish, so they would usually goof off especially in this class.

But Alvin wasn't there with Brittany, so Brittany was forced to listen to the teacher talk and use words even though Brittany had no idea what they meant.

"Brittany," Ms. King said getting Brittany's complete attention. "¿Qué pronombre usted utilizaría para esta oración?" (What pronoun would you use for this sentence?)

"Uh… um… I…" Brittany stammered.

"What's the correct pronoun to use for sentence number three?" Ms. King sighed.

"Oh… um," Brittany said as she began thinking. "Ustedes?"

"Sorry, but that is incorrect." Ms. King said quietly.

"Oh…" Brittany said as she looked at the floor, embarrassed.

"Don't worry, Brittany," Ms. King said happily. "We just started this lesson; you'll get the hang of it." She said, trying to encourage Brittany.

"Okay." Brittany replied.

As the bell rang, Brittany tried her best to rush out of the room before her worst thought became real.

"Brittany," Ms. King said quickly. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"

'_Drat!'_ Brittany thought as she walked over to Ms. King's desk.

"Yes?" Brittany asked, innocently.

"I understand that Alvin will be out of school for a while, correct?" Ms. King asked, earning a nod from Brittany. "Okay, do you think that you can teach him this material?"

"Well… I…" Brittany stuttered. _'I can't TEACH Alvin if I don't even understand it myself...'_ Brittany thought as she tried to come up with the right words.

"Listen, I know that you're struggling yourself with the material," Ms. King began. "But I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it."

"Do you really think so?" Brittany asked.

"Of course, I have confidence in you, Brittany." Ms. King said as she gave Brittany a warm smile.

"Thanks, I'll try." Brittany said as she walked out of the classroom and met up with her sisters.

"What did the teacher want?" Eleanor asked suspiciously.

"She wants me to teach Alvin what we're learning." Brittany answered.

"That's a good idea," Jeanette said quietly. "Alvin's missing a lot of school; he's going to need to be taught everything."

"Yeah, but from _Brittany?_" Eleanor asked in disbelief.

"Hey!" Brittany snapped defensively.

"It's nothing personal, Brittany," Eleanor began. "But you're not the best teacher."

Brittany glared at her sister before rolling her eyes and sighing, _'She's right…'_ Brittany thought as she put her head down.

"While that may be true," Jeanette said quickly. "They must have chosen Brittany for a reason." Jeanette said as she thought for a minute before snapping her fingers. "It's probably because Brittany's the only one who can actually get Alvin's attention."

"Yeah, you have a point…" Brittany mumbled.

"I _hope_ I can get through to him…" Brittany whispered. _'Nothing can get Alvin interested about school… except maybe me…'_

As they Chipettes walked to their next destination, Gym, they met up with Simon and Theodore who were on their way to the same place.

"Hello." Simon said politely.

"Hi…" Brittany mumbled as she walked through the doors leading to the gymnasium.

"What's wrong with, Brittany?" Theodore asked.

"Our Spanish teacher wants Brittany to tutor Alvin so he won't fall behind." Eleanor replied.

"Wait, she wants _Brittany_ to tutor Alvin?" Simon asked.

"She probably thinks that Brittany's the only person who can get through to Alvin." Jeanette answered quietly.

"I guess that's a good point." Simon said quietly. _'I've tried to Alvin in just about every subject, but I could never get through to him, maybe Brittany will have better luck…' _Simon thought as they walked through the gymnasium as well.

Throughout the class period the P.E instructor, Mr. Harrison, had them run laps, climb ropes, and do other things to get his class ready for the annual fitness test coming up.

"Y-Y-You know…" Theodore said as he panted with the rest of the group. "It's t-times like t-this that I-I wish I w-was still a w-werewolf." Theodore said as he remembered the week before the school play.

"Don't worry," Simon said as his breathing returned to normal. "After the fitness exam, things will get easier."

Brittany was tired along with everyone else, but her mind was elsewhere. _'I wonder what Alvin's doing right now…_' Brittany thought to herself.

"Okay, come on guys, you're going great." Mr. Harrison said, trying to encourage everyone. "Just three more laps around the track and you'll be done for the day."

The thought of three more laps made the entire class groan in both pain and laziness, but regardless, they all got up and started running. The Chipmunks and Chipettes were running alongside each other but Eleanor noticed that Brittany wasn't paying attention.

"Hey Brittany, are you okay?" Eleanor asked as she slowed down a little until she was side-by-side with Brittany.

"What?" Brittany questioned as she snapped out of her trance. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Eleanor asked as her curiosity got the better of her.

"It's nothing…" Brittany said as she looked at the rest of the track. _'Only a little bit left…'_ She thought.

"Are you sure?" Eleanor confirmed.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Brittany said as she watched Eleanor take the lead and meet up with everyone else.

Soon the entire class was done with their laps and they were now sitting on the bleachers in the front of the school.

"Good work today, I'm proud of you all." Mr. Harrison said as he smiled at them. "I have no doubt that you'll all do fine on the fitness test next week. Now, go get changed."

After changing, the Chipmunks and Chipettes were standing in the gym waiting for the bell to ring.

"So, what's everyone doing after school?" Theodore asked.

"Can Jeanette and I come over your house?" Eleanor asked Theodore.

"I don't see why not." Simon answered. "Why are you going to do, Brittany?"

"I'm going to go see Alvin, then go home." Brittany said as the bell rang.

Brittany quickly took off before anyone had the chance to say anything. _'One class left…'_ Brittany thought as she walked towards her last class, Math. Alvin and Brittany shared the exact same schedule except they had two different Math classes.

Brittany quickly entered the classroom to avoid being late, _'Nothing's going to keep me after school…'_ Brittany thought, determined to see Alvin as soon as possible.

"Ms. Miller, I do believe this is the first time you've actually been on time to my class." The teacher, Mr. Lopez, said happily.

"Well, I just decided that it was time for a change." Brittany lied.

"Good," Mr. Lopez began. "I believe that's very responsible of you."

Mr. Lopez wasn't Alvin's teacher so he had no direct way of knowing about Alvin's condition or the face that Alvin and Brittany were friends.

As the class went on, Brittany was finding it more and more harder to concentrate, her mind was in so many different places. She was thinking about getting out of the class to see Alvin, also, she wanted to get out of the class because it was just downright boring.

She tried to pay attention though, and even though she wasn't really doing any work, she at least _looked_ like she was.

"Brittany, what's the answer to number two?" Mr. Lopez asked, snapping Brittany out of her trance.

"Um…" Brittany said quietly, she looked to her left and took the answer from who she was sitting next to. "Five." Brittany answered.

"Very good, Ms. Miller," Mr. Lopez said politely before the bell rang. "I'll see you tomorrow class."

After getting out of the classroom, Brittany quickly walked to her locker and began packing her book bag.

"What's the rush, Brittany?" Eleanor asked as her and Jeanette walked over to Brittany.

"I'm going to go see Alvin, remember?" Brittany reminded them.

"Yes, we remember," Jeanette began. "Just remember to be home _on time_ today, also…" Jeanette said as she hugged Brittany. "Be careful; make sure you do _not_ go near that van."

"Don't worry; I haven't even seen the van today." Brittany lied. She decided that it would be better _not_ telling them about the same van being in the school's parking lot.

"Okay," Eleanor said quietly. "Remember, four o' clock!" Eleanor said quickly.

"I know, I know!" Brittany said as she headed out the school's doors and started walking towards the hospital.

When Brittany got to the hospital she looked behind her, _'No van…'_ Brittany thought as she went through the hospital's entrance. _'Maybe it WAS just a coincidence…'_ Brittany thought happily, however, she had a bad feeling that she was wrong.

Brittany quickly found her way to Alvin's room and walked in to find him sitting in his bed eating a sandwich.

"Hi, Brittany." Alvin said as he watched her walk in.

"Hi, Alvin." Brittany sighed as she took off her book bag and opened it.

"Please don't tell me you're going to do homework while visiting me…" Alvin groaned.

"Nope," Brittany said quietly, earning a sigh of relief from Alvin. "_You_ are." She said as she handed him the books.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… what?" Alvin asked in confusion.

"Almost all of our teachers talked to me and asked me to help you." Brittany said as she climbed onto the bed with him.

"Help me with what?" Alvin asked, still confused.

"They want me to teach you what we've been learning so you don't fall behind everyone." Brittany said as she opened her Spanish book.

"I'm in the hospital… and they expect me to _learn_?" Alvin asked in shock.

"Yes," Brittany answered. "Besides, you're _leaving_ the hospital tomorrow." Brittany said as she gazed at him.

"Why did they pick _you_ to tutor me?" Alvin asked bitterly. "It's not like you understand this stuff anymore than I do."

"Excuse me?" Brittany snapped back, making Alvin cower a little. "They picked _me_ because they think I'm the _only_ person that can actually get through the thick head of yours!"

"Okay, okay…" Alvin mumbled. "I'm sorry, and I'll try to learn…"

"Thank you," Brittany said as she opened the Spanish book again. "Besides, you know what we can do when we're _not_ working?"

"What?" Alvin asked curiously.

Brittany didn't answer; instead she bent down and quickly kissed him on the lips.

"That." Brittany said as she pulled back up.

"Well," Alvin said as he took the book away from Brittany and closed it."I think it's time for a break." Alvin said as he bent down to kiss Brittany again, before they could touch lips however, they were interrupted.

"What are you doing here?" A voice asked. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from him?"

Alvin and Brittany both jumped before turning around, it was Rebecca.

"What are you doing here?" Brittany asked as she glared at Rebecca.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rebecca asked as she walked into the room. "I'm here to see _my_ man!" Rebecca shouted as she pushed Brittany aside.

"_You're_ man?" Brittany repeated. "I told you yesterday, he _doesn't_ like you!"

"Sure…" Rebecca said as she rolled her eyes. "I guess everyone has a right to be jealous." Rebecca said as she walked over to the side of Alvin's bed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave so I can talk to my boyfriend." Rebecca said as she grabbed Alvin's arm.

"Rebecca," Alvin said as he ripped his arm out of Rebecca's grasp. "I'm _not_ your boyfriend!"

"Don't be silly Alvie," Rebecca began. "I know that you love me."

"No I don't!" Alvin shouted. "I love Brittany!"

"W-What?" Rebecca asked in shock before her anger returning. "Why would you love _her_, huh? What does _she_ have that I don't?"

"A brain!" Brittany answered.

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU!" Rebecca snapped.

"Rebecca, I'm sorry but I don't like you, and I never will." Alvin said as he looked into her eyes. "Brittany's the only girl for me."

"You know what!" Rebecca yelled. "Fine! I'm done! We're over!" Rebecca screamed before she stormed out of the room.

"When did we even start?" Alvin asked himself, making both him and Brittany laugh.

"Thanks, Alvin." Brittany said as she walked back over to his bed.

"Brittany," Alvin began as he took her hands into his own. "_No one_ could ever take your place." Alvin said as he looked into her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Brittany said without hesitation. "Come on, let's at least try to get some work done today." Brittany said as she climbed onto his bed again.

"Fine…" Alvin sighed.

As time went on, Brittany decided to teach Alvin a new subject every day, and today she worked on Spanish. But the teacher's were right, Brittany made Alvin focus harder than the teachers could ever do in school, and Alvin was actually picking up the lessons pretty quick.

Brittany glanced up at the clock in the room, _'Three thirty-five…'_ Brittany thought before she closed the Spanish book.

"Something wrong?" Alvin asked.

"I need to be home by four, and since I'm walking home I'm going to need to leave soon." Brittany answered.

"Are you sure?" Alvin asked quickly. "I'm sure Dave could drive you home."

Brittany was about to say 'yes' but she remembered that Dave, Simon, and Theodore were probably working on decorations at their house.

"No, it's okay." Brittany sighed.

"Okay…" Alvin said as he watched her pack up her book bag.

"I'd actually better be going…" Brittany said as she kissed Alvin on the cheek.

"Okay… bye." Alvin said as he waved at her.

"Bye." Brittany said as she waved back.

As Brittany left the hospital, she took a quick look around. _'Still no van…'_ Brittany thought as she started walking home. As she came to a crossing, she carefully looked both ways. Seeing no cars, she began walking across the street. In a quick second, a car flew down the street and stopped in front of Brittany.

Brittany at first she flinched as she heard the car coming, noticing that she had not been hit, Brittany slowly opened her eyes. But her heart stopped as she gazed at the vehicle in front of her, it wasn't a car… it was a black van.

Brittany's first instinct told her to runaway, and she took it. Brittany quickly ran down the street as fast as she had ever run in her life, she quickly looked behind her… the van was following her. Without thinking, Brittany took a quick left and began running until she faced a wall, it was a dead end.

'_Oh no!'_ Brittany thought as she heard the van's door open and several footsteps approaching.

"Now look at what we have here!" A dark voice said before it began laughing.

Brittany recognized the voice, _'It can't be…'_ Brittany thought in horror as he and two other men came into view. Standing in the middle, was the man who had confronted Alvin and Brittany Friday night… the man who had shot and almost killed Alvin.

Brittany tried to move, she tried to run away, but her body was petrified. She slowly backed up into the wall as the three men approached her.

"Don't worry… we're not going to hurt you." The man on the left said. He had short black hair that was neatly combed and wore a black dress shirt that he kept tucked into his pants. He was obviously the leader.

"Yet…" The man in the middle laughed. He had long, black, greasy hair that stopped just above his shoulders. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans with a dark blue shirt and a blue jean jacket. He was obviously the 'muscle man'.

"Let's just get this over with, quickly." The man on the right said. He had red-orange hair that was short and slightly curly. He had a small loop earring in his left ear and wore a pair of blue jeans with a casual white shirt. He was obviously the smarter one of the group.

They quickly approached Brittany and before she had time to react the muscular man quickly covered her face with a rag, making her fall asleep. They quickly carried Brittany's body and put her in their van.

"This is definitely going to work…" The 'leader' said to himself before they drove off.

_**

* * *

**_

At the Miller's house

'_Where is she?'_ Miss Miller thought to herself as she paced around the living room. It was five o' clock and they hadn't heard anything from Brittany.

"Alright girls," Miss Miller said quickly. "We're going to the hospital."

"Why?" Eleanor asked as her and Jeanette grabbed their coats.

"Because Brittany's probably still there." Miss Miller said as she ran through the door and out to her car with the girls.

As they got into the car, Miss Miller waited for them to put on their seatbelts before she drove off.

"I swear," Miss Miller began. "If she fell asleep again, she's going to be in _so_ much trouble!" Miss Miller said angrily. But deep down, Miss Miller was scared out of her mind, and she hoped that Brittany _had_ fallen asleep in the hospital.

As they pulled into the hospital's parking lot, they quickly headed through the door. They didn't bother waiting for the elevator; they ran up the flight of stairs leading to the third floor. As they walked down the hall of the third floor, they walked past the waiting room and saw Dave, Simon, and Theodore inside.

"David?" Miss Miller asked.

"Oh, hello Miss Miller," Dave said as he walked over to her. "What brings you here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing…" Miss Miller said in a slightly more bitter tone than usual.

"Well, I come here with the boys every night." Dave said quickly, a little taken back by Miss Miller's words. "We usually come later but we had a little extra time after we finished decorating. That reminds me, are the girls still going to be at my house when we bring Alvin home tomorrow?" Dave asked, trying to change the subject gently.

"David, we can't find Brittany." Miss Miller said quickly, surprising Dave and the two other Chipmunks. "We came here to see if she was with Alvin."

"Alvin told me that she came by after school but left a little bit after three thirty." Dave said as he scratched his head. "Right now, Alvin's getting a final test done before he leaves tomorrow so there isn't anybody in his room"

"Then where could she be?" Miss Miller cried.

Eleanor and Jeanette shared a quick glance, showing that they were both thinking the same thing.

"Miss Miller…" Jeanette said quietly.

"Yes, dear?" Miss Miller answered.

"Brittany lied to yesterday…" Eleanor said almost quieter than Jeanette.

"What do you mean, about what?" Miss Miller asked, even more worried now.

"She told you that a dog chased her on her way back from the hospital yesterday, right?" Eleanor asked.

"That's right…" Miss Miller said with a confused look, but that confused look quickly turned to fear as she put two and two together. "What are you trying to say?" Miss Miller asked as she tried to avoid breaking down in tears.

"She wasn't chased by a dog, it was a…" Jeanette hesitated.

She knew that she was doing to right thing to tell everyone, but she couldn't look past the fact that she was betraying Brittany's trust by breaking her promise. She was about to look away, but she felt Eleanor's hand rest on her shoulder and Eleanor gave her a sad nod.

"It was a… van." Jeanette finished.

"A van?" Miss Miller repeated.

"A black van," Eleanor said quickly. "Brittany told us that it chased her all the way home." Eleanor added.

A look of pure horror crossed Miss Miller's face as she turned to Dave who had an equally horrified expression. Miss Miller quickly ran out of the hospital with Eleanor and Jeanette following her.

"Dave," Simon said quietly. "Is Brittany okay?"

"I'm sure she's fine." Dave said as he tried to pull himself together. "Let's just keep this quiet for now, don't tell anyone, either of you." Dave said firmly and Simon and Theodore nodded their heads.

_**

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**_

Outside the hospital

"Miss Miller," Eleanor began. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to find Brittany!" Miss Miller shouted before she got into the car. "Before it's too late…" Miss Miller mumbled.

They slowly pulled onto the main road and began driving when Miss Miller's cell phone rang.

"Jeanette, can you please put it on speaker for me?" Miss Miller said as she handed Jeanette the phone without taking her eyes off the road.

Jeanette handed back the phone but no one spoke.

"Hello?" Miss Miller asked.

"Hello." A dark voice responded.

"Who is this?" Miss Miller asked as she quickly looked at the phone's caller ID, _'Unknown?'_ Miss Miller thought as she began getting frustrated.

"Who I am is not important." The voice replied. "What _is_ important is what I currently have, and how much _you_ will do to get her back."

Miss Miller instantly hit the brakes, hard. _'Did he just say HER?'_ Miss Miller thought it horror.

"Don't believe me? Maybe this will change your mind," The voice said quickly. In the distance there was a faint sound of someone snapping their fingers and a loud smack followed by a loud, but muffled scream.

The sound caused Miss Miller, Jeanette, and Eleanor to stare at the phone in shock. It was because it was a horrible smacking sound, but the main reason was because they were sure, that the scream came from Brittany… and it was a scream full of pain.

"Brittany?" Miss Miller yelled. "Is that Brittany?!"

"Yes." The voice answered.

"Please, I'll do whatever you want!" Miss Miller screamed as she began crying. "Just please don't hurt her!"

"We won't be required to harm her in any way, that is, _if_ you follow our instructions." The voice said quickly.

"What do you want?" Miss Miller asked as she shook the phone.

"That will be revealed the next time that we call, good bye." The voice said as the line went dead.

Miss Miller stared at the phone in shock; she just simply couldn't take it all in.

"Miss Miller… is Brittany okay?" Eleanor asked as she and Jeanette began crying hysterically in the backseat. Miss Miller didn't answer; she just began driving back to the hospital as quick as she possibly could.

As they entered the hospital's parking lot, they again, ran up the flight of stairs leading to the third floor, only this time, even faster than before. They quickly made their way to the waiting room, Dave, Simon, and Theodore weren't there anymore, they quickly ran to Alvin's room, hoping they were in there.

As they entered Alvin's hospital room, they found Dave, Simon, and Theodore crowded around Alvin's bed talking. Miss Miller didn't want to interrupt them, but this definitely could _not_ wait.

"David, something terrible has happened." Miss Miller exclaimed as she walking into the room with Jeanette and Eleanor.

"What is it Miss Miller?" Dave asked as he walked over to her.

"It's Brit-" Miss Miller began, but her attention turned to Alvin who was still in his bed waiting for her to finish her sentence. _'He can't know…'_ Miss Miller thought before she turned back to Dave. "We need to talk out in the hall." Miss Miller said as she walked out of the hall with everyone besides Alvin.

"Wait!" Alvin shouted as he tried to get up, but he only felt pain. The test required him to take certain medicine that would make you temporarily sore.

"Stay here, Alvin." Dave said as he closed the door.

Alvin turned his vision to the floor, _'She was going to say something about Brittany…'_ Alvin thought before he tried getting up again, this time, he ignored the pain and jumped off of the bed.

He quickly, but quietly, walked over to the door and silently cracked it open so that he could hear the conversation.

"What's going, Miss Miller?" Dave finally asked.

"It's Brittany!" Miss Miller screamed as she started crying again.

"What about her? Did you find her?" Dave quickly asked.

"She's been… kidnapped!" Miss Miller said quietly, causing herself to cry harder afterwards.

Alvin's eyes widened. _'K-Kidnapped!' _Alvin thought in horror.

"What do you mean, 'kidnapped'?" Simon asked in disbelief.

"A man called us, and he… he… hurt Brittany." Jeanette cried.

Alvin went into slight shock, _'He hurt her?'_ Alvin wondered.

"He told us that if we didn't do what he wanted then he would keep hurting her." Eleanor said as she cried into Miss Miller's lap, Jeanette did the same.

"What does he want?" Dave asked quietly, he was trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to rain down his face, but he failed.

"He didn't tell us," Miss Miller said as she hugged her girls. "He told us that he'd say the next time he called us."

"I'm so sorry…" Dave said as he hugged his boys, but his eyes widened when he remembered something. "Alvin…" Dave whispered, causing everyone to look at him with confusion. But that confusion soon turned to anguish as they realized what he meant.

"What are we going to tell him?" Simon asked as he looked up at Dave.

"We can't… not yet," Dave said as he hugged Simon. "He can't take it yet."

Alvin listened in disbelief, _'They weren't going to tell me?!'_ Alvin thought as he put together his emotions and slammed open the door, causing everyone to jump.

"Alvin…" Dave said as he walked over to Alvin and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Alvin shouted, causing everyone to widen their eyes. "You weren't going to tell me!" Alvin said as he started crying.

"Alvin… there's nothing you can do." Dave said as he cried to pull Alvin into a hug, but Alvin broke out of it.

"I swore to protect her!" Alvin yelled as he began walking slowly down the hall. "And that's what I'm going to do."

"Alvin!" Dave said, slightly higher in volume. "You can't go anywhere!"

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?" Alvin screamed as he looked back at them, his entire face was covered in tears. "HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THAT HAPPENED TO ONE OF US?!" Alvin screamed as he began to break down. But he quickly caught himself and began walking off again.

"How do you expect to get her back?!" Dave shouted.

"I'll find a way!" Alvin shouted back.

"Alvin, be realistic!" Dave screamed, but he looked down as he realized what he had just said.

"Realistic?" Alvin repeated.

"Alvin… I'm sorry…" Dave said as he began walking towards Alvin again.

"Save it!" Alvin said as he swung his arm in Dave's direction.

"Alvin, if you go looking for her, you're only going to get caught yourself!" Miss Miller shouted.

"Then I'll be caught!" Alvin shouted back as he continued walking down the hall.

"Why? Why would you risk that?" Miss Miller asked.

"Because I love her." Alvin said as he turned around and looked at them leaving everyone speechless, before turning around again and walking off.

'_I promise you Brittany… I'm GOING to find you… no matter what…' _Alvin thought as he exited the hospital and began walking down the first street he saw.

* * *

**_And when things were finally starting to seem better..._**

**_What could be the motives behing Brittany's 'attackers'?_**

**_What will they do to Brittany?_**

**_You'll just have to read to find out!_**

**_READ AND REVIEW! ^^_**


	9. Remorse

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Well, this is a sad chapter...**

**But it has a fluffy moment!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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Chapter 9: Remorse

_**In the hospital**_

Everyone stood in the hospital's hallway, mouths agape, staring at the spot where the young, red-clad chipmunks once stood.

"Dave..." Theodore began quietly, still in shock. "Where is Alvin going?"

"I don't know." Dave answered sadly. _'He LOVES her?'_ Dave thought as he rubbed his head and let out a sorrowful sigh.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Thomas said as he approached the family. "Why isn't Alvin in his room?"

No one answered the doctor, better yet; no one knew _how_ to answer him. They simply stood there, each trying to come up with their own answer to explain Alvin's sudden brave, yet irrational actions.

"As a doctor," Dr. Thomas began, his voice starting to deepen with anger. "I have a right to know the whereabouts of all my patients." The doctor said as he confronted the family. "Especially, if that patient could be in danger."

"What do you mean, '_danger'_?" Dave asked as he looked into the doctor's eyes. Surprisingly, Dave met the same glance of sadness and concern in the doctor's eyes as he knew that he had himself. "I thought that Alvin was going to fully recover, wasn't he supposed to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, Alvin was supposed to be signed out of the hospital tomorrow." Dr. Thomas sighed. "And yes, Alvin _should_ make a full recovery, but that's only _if_ he relaxes. If Alvin tries to push himself too far, he could easily tear through the new muscle tissue that was formed during his recovery."

"What does that mean?" Eleanor asked quietly.

"It means that if Alvin pushes himself too hard, he could do major damage to his body." Dr. Thomas said as he looked down towards the floor before looking straight at Dave. "Some of which, could be irreversible."

"What should we do?" Dave asked as he matched the doctor's gaze.

"I suggest you find Alvin as quickly as possible, and bring him back to the hospital." Dr. Thomas said as he turned around and began walking down the corridor.

For a moment, they were all silent.

"Dave," Simon began. "Alvin isn't going to give up without finding Brittany." Simon said as he shifted his vision to the floor. "Even if we _do_ find him, I doubt that he'll return with us."

"I know, I know." Dave sighed. "For now, let's look for both Alvin and Brittany."

They all nodded in agreement and walked out of the hospital, each determined to save both of their family members and return them home, safely.

_**

* * *

**_

With Brittany

Brittany was seated on a chair in the middle of a poorly lit room, her hands were tightly tied together behind her back and she was sobbing at the painful sensation in her cheek.

The muscular brute had slapped Brittany, hard.

Brittany's left cheek was a bright red color, her nose was bleeding slightly, and she was crying hysterically. Even though the three men had Brittany gagged, the tape over her mouth could not keep in her loud screams of pain.

"Shh…" The brute whispered as he gently rubbed Brittany's cheek with the same hand he had used to hurt her, all with a sickening grin on his face.

"Ben, make sure she's alright," The leader began, talking to the 'smarter' man. "I've got a few phone calls to make." He said as he walked out of the room.

Ben quickly walked over to Brittany and tilted her head back to momentarily stop the bleeding. While he gently stuffed Brittany's nostrils with cotton, she felt the blood begin to drip down her throat which made her choke and fight to try and get out of his grasp. She began kicking, hoping that he would back away and leave her alone.

"I'm trying to help you!" Ben said as he grabbed her legs and held them tightly so she couldn't move them any longer. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Speak for yourself." The muscular man said as he kicked Ben with his foot, causing him to hunch over in pain. The muscular man laughed to himself before turning towards Brittany once again. "I still have that heel mark on my stomach, bitch."

Brittany was terrified; she couldn't help but stare into his cold eyes. They held no compassion, no remorse, only rage.

"Calm down, Mike," Ben said as he tried getting up off of the floor. "We only need to keep her here, we don't need to do anything el-"

"Shut up!" Mike interrupted. He turned to Brittany once again, but this time with a sadistic smile on his face. "Now, where were we?" The man said as he approached Brittany.

'_What's he going to do?'_ Brittany thought as he continued to approach her. Unfortunately, Brittany got her answer as the man started unbuttoning her pink shirt. Brittany tried to scream, but she was still gagged. She tried to run, but she was still tied up. She tried to kick, but the man held her feet in his hand as his other hand continued to remove her shirt. Brittany was helpless; all she could do was sit there, watch, and cry.

Ben simply lay there in shock, but he realized what Mike was trying to do and what could happen if he just stayed there and watched.

"Mike, stop!" Ben screamed as he ran up to Mike and tried to move him away from Brittany.

"Why would I stop?" Mike asked as he punched Ben in the stomach and pushed him away. "I always get what I want," Mike began as he turned towards Brittany and smiled at her once more. "And I want her."

Mike tried to take off Brittany's shirt, but she fought back.

"Stop fighting, bitch." Mike yelled as he slapped her again, causing a loud whimper to escape her covered mouth.

'_I have to do something!'_ Ben thought, but only one thing came to his mind… and he didn't have much of a choice.

"Dom!" Ben yelled, causing Mike to look at him in horror. "Dom, help!"

"Shut up!" Mike said as he punched Ben straight in the face, knocking him out. "Well, I guess that's all it takes." Mike said as he snickered at the sight of Ben on the floor, before turning back to Brittany. "Now, there's not going to be any interruptions." He said as he removed Brittany's shirt, causing her to cry harder.

Mike reached his hand down to remove Brittany's skirt, but he heard the cocking of a gun and froze immediately.

"So," A voice began. "I can't make a few calls without you trying to screw this entire plan up?"

Mike turned around, it was the leader.

"Dom… I can explain…" Mike stammered.

"Don't bother." Dom said as he looked at Ben, then back to Mike. "Now, go make sure all of the doors are locked." Dom said coldly. "And from now on, stay away from her."

Mike looked at Dom challengingly, but he knew his place. He turned back to Brittany and let out a soft, but intimidating growl before he made his way out of the room.

Dom walked towards Ben and gently shook him awake. As Ben began to stir, Dom walked towards Brittany and picked up her discarded shirt off of the floor and threw it on her lap.

"Now, fix her up," Dom began as he faced Ben. "Then, get cleaned up yourself." He said as he walked out of the room and closed the door.

Ben didn't say anything, he barely looked at Brittany, he just silently tended to her. He quickly picked up her shirt and tried to put it back on her. Having someone dress her made Brittany uncomfortable, but she decided that it was better than someone trying to _undress_ her, so she accepted the help.

As Ben finished putting Brittany's shirt on, he quickly yanked out to bloody cotton of her nostrils and saw that, despite the second slap, her nose had stopped bleeding. Mike sighed to himself before he got up, discarded the cotton, and exited the room.

Now Brittany was alone. _'What did I do to deserve this?'_ Brittany thought. _'What do they plan on doing? Are they going to kill me? Are they going to let me go if they get what they want? 'What do they even want?'_ Trying to answer all of the questions gave Brittany a little of a headache and made her start crying again.

While crying, Brittany didn't notice that Ben had come back into the room. He brought in a plate of food and a small glass of water.

"You shouldn't cry, it's a waste of energy." Ben said, startling Brittany, he saw her jump and chuckled a little. "I'm sorry if I startled you." He said as he put the plate down next to her and took out his pocketknife.

Seeing the blade made Brittany scared. _'He's going to kill me!'_ Brittany thought in horror as she tried to move away from him.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Ben said as he approached Brittany with the blade.

As he got closer, Brittany closed her eyes in fear. For a while she felt nothing, but suddenly she felt pressure on her _hands_. She opened her eyes and turned her head around as much as she could; Ben was cutting the ropes that restricted her arms.

As Ben finished cutting the ropes, she pulled her arms in front of her and began rubbing them subconsciously. She looked at him with a confused expression, _'Is he letting me go?' _As she tried to ask, she realized that her mouth was still taped closed. Before she could take it off herself, Ben reached his hand towards her and quickly ripped the tape off of her mouth causing her to let out a sharp yelp of pain.

"Sorry." Ben whispered. "Now, eat before Dom comes back to tie you up again." He said as he frowned at her before walking out of the room.

Brittany continued to sit on the floor, _'He wasn't going to let me go…'_ Brittany thought in sadness, she had gotten her hopes up… just so they could be struck down. She turned her gaze to the plate of food, it didn't look too bad. It was a normal plate of chicken, two leg bones and a wing.

'_They didn't make it…'_ Brittany thought. She doubted that any of them could cook, and even if they could, the meal was restaurant quality. _'What if they did something to it?' _Brittany thought, but she considered it and quickly shook the thoughts out of her head. _'No, they need me alive…'_ Brittany decided. _'If they didn't, they would've killed me… or worse…'_ Brittany thought, shuddering at the thoughts of what Mike had planned to do.

Brittany reached down and took one of the pieces of chicken and began looking at it. Part of her decided that she didn't want to accept anything from her kidnappers, but another part of her decided that she needed to eat, she had no idea how long she was going to be held, and she also had no idea how long she would have to wait before she had another chance to eat. Despite not being hungry, Brittany began eating the meal.

As Brittany finished the meal, she couldn't help but feel a little better. She was still upset, but she felt more aware of what was going on now that she had more energy.

"How was it?" Ben asked as he opened the door and noticed the empty plate and glass.

But Brittany didn't answer him. She wanted to thank him for saving her from Mike, but she also wanted to treat him like he was the enemy, and that meant ignoring him.

"Listen," Ben said quietly, noticing her decision to treat him like the enemy. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but I'm going to try my best to protect you while you're in here."

Hearing him say that caused Brittany to look up and stare into his eyes. She saw that he wasn't very old, maybe early twenties at the most. He had hazel colored eyes, and those eyes were filled with compassion and regret that she couldn't find in either of the other kidnappers. She was about to thank him, but suddenly, the leader, Dom, walked into the room with new rope and a roll of duck tape.

"Dom," Ben pleaded. "Is this really necessary? I don't think she's going to be a problem."

"Maybe she will, maybe she won't," Dom began. "But for now, we can't take any chances." He said as he placed Brittany back in the chair and began tying her up again.

Brittany tried to struggle against him, but he was too strong. She wanted to kick and fight against him, but she was afraid of getting hit again, as a result, she let him tie her up. He lifted the tape and ripped off a piece of tape, but shook his head and sighed.

"Alright, I'm going to give you a chance. I'm not going to tape your mouth shut." Dom said as he lifted Brittany's head so now they were looking straight at each other. "Can I trust you?" He said in an intimidating tone, earning a frightened nod from Brittany. "Good, watch over her." He said as he turned to Ben and walked out of the door.

Ben sighed to himself and plopped himself onto the floor.

As Brittany watched Dom close the door, she waited a few seconds before she was sure that he was gone.

"Thank you…" Brittany whispered to Ben, not looking directly at him, but at the floor.

"For what?" Dom asked in confusion.

"For saving me." Brittany said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Ben said quickly, offering her a small smile, but she didn't look up at him. "I'm sorry… for everything…"

"Why did you do it?" Brittany asked as she turned her head towards him.

"I… we… they…" Ben stuttered, but he knew that he didn't have a right to tell her anything, especially behind the others' backs.

Instead of finishing his sentence, he got up from the floor and began to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" Brittany yelled as she tried to get up from the chair, but the force of the ropes quickly reminded her that she was still being held captive.

"Get some sleep," Ben said as he stopped and turned towards Brittany with a saddened expression. "It's late, and you're going to need to be awake early tomorrow." He said as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. _'I can't tell her…'_ Ben thought as he felt tears coming to his eyes, but he quickly rubbed them out of his eyes and walked off to find the others.

Brittany sat there and sighed as he closed the door. _'What now?'_ Brittany thought as she looked around the room. It was a fairly small room with no windows and stone walls, meaning, no escape. _'Am I going to get out of here?'_ Brittany asked herself as she started to cry again.

"Oh, Alvin… where are you?" Brittany whispered as she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

_**

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**_

With Alvin

Alvin had been running around for quite some time now. He had run down every street, examined every ally, and checked every corner he had come across.

Alvin had run out of breath a while ago, although he tried to keep pushing himself, the lack of oxygen and the exhaustion was beginning to weigh him down.

His run slowly turned into a jog, which slowly turned into a walk, which slowly turned into him hunched over, trying to catch his breath.

Besides the exhaustion, Alvin noticed a piercing pain in his chest, which he quickly dismissed as soreness.

'_I'm going to find you, Brittany…'_ Alvin thought to himself as he began running down the streets.

After another ten straight minutes of running, Alvin was starting to feel exhausted again, but he shook it off and kept going. He was about to turn down another street and begin searching, but coming down the same street, was a very familiar car.

'_Drat!'_ Alvin thought as he noticed the driver, it was Dave.

"Alvin!" Dave screamed as he stuck his head out of the car window.

"Uh oh." Alvin muttered to himself before quickly turning and running in the opposite direction of Dave.

Alvin quickly ran down the streets of the town, he was trying to lose Dave's car, but Dave was overly persistent.

'_Only one place left to go…'_ Alvin thought as he headed towards the town's park.

Over the years, Alvin had run away from home quite a few times. He would always go to a hiding spot in town, and so far, Dave and his brother's had learned every one of them… except one. This new spot, only two people knew about. One was Alvin, the other, was Brittany.

Alvin quickly ran through the park's gate and jumped down the long flight of concrete stairs leading to the pond in the middle of the park. He looked behind him, he could see that Dave and his brothers were getting out of the car and were preparing to chase after Alvin.

'_Where is it?'_ Alvin thought as he ran along the side of the pond, looking for the entrance to the last hideout he had.

"There!" Alvin exclaimed as his vision fixed upon a large bush that had a wooden stick jutting out of it.

The bush was in front of a brick wall that was one of the walls that surrounded one of the many trees in the park.

Alvin stopped to catch his breath as he reached the bush. He looked behind him; he saw a few streams of light that were emitted from flashlights. Without a second thought, Alvin quickly pushed his way through the bush and came to an abrupt stop as he faced the brick wall. Immediately, Alvin lay down on the floor and rolled through the small opening at the bottom of the wall.

Once inside the wall, Alvin quickly pulled himself out of the clearing in the wall and leaned his tired body against the solid wall as he listened for the sounds of his followers.

_**

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**_

With Dave

"Where'd he go?" Dave asked as he and his two sons ran down the road of the park. "Alvin doesn't have any hiding spots around here, does he?" He asked Simon.

"The only hiding spot that Alvin had in park is behind the batting cages." Simon said as he pointed towards the old cages that were barely used anymore.

"Alvin?" Dave called out. "Please Alvin; you don't need to do this alone!"

But there was not response, the only sounds were the gentle breeze throughout the park, and the heavy sighs of three worried souls.

"Alright, let's go check over there." Dave said as he began walking towards the cages with Simon and Theodore quickly following him.

'_I hope you're alright Alvin…'_ Dave thought as he felt tears roll down his cheeks, but he quickly wiped them away and quickened his pace.

_**

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**_

With Alvin

As soon as he heard the footsteps of his family quiet down, Alvin let out a long, relieved sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to get his heartbeat down to a controlled level, feeling satisfied, Alvin put his hands on the ground and braced himself. However, as he moved to get up, he felt a sharp, unbearable pain in his chest causing him to fall onto the floor and grip it tightly.

"Ah!" Alvin screamed in pain.

Alvin pulled up his shirt and saw that his entire chest and ribs were sore, and the spot in which the bullet had pierced him, had started to turn a nasty shade of black.

"What the…" Alvin whispered as he stared at the marks on his body. But he quickly shook his head and pulled his shirt down. "I can't worry about that now…" Alvin mumbled as he stood up.

Alvin took a long look around the place he had come to, only one other person knew about this place, and it was Brittany. They had found it together, and both had promised not to tell anyone about it.

The pain in Alvin's wound may have faded, but it was replaced by a new pain, but this one was coming from his heart. He closed his eyes as the memories of that day flooded his mind, and tears dripped down his face…

_-Flashback-_

_It was a bright a sunny day. The Chipmunks and the Chipettes had just gotten back from their vacation at the beach and all of the boys and girls were in the driveway helping Dave unpack the van, all except for Alvin and Brittany. They were in the boys' room in the Seville household, and of course, they had already begun bickering with each other._

"_I did not!" Alvin shouted as he glared at Brittany._

"_You did too!" Brittany shouted in response._

"_Did not!" Alvin yelled._

"_Did too!" Brittany responded._

"_Di-" Alvin began, but the bedroom door quickly flew open startling them both._

"_What's it this time?" Dave said as he entered through the door. "We just got back nearly twenty minute ago, what could you two be POSSIBELY be fighting about already?"_

_Dave didn't like raising his voice, but Alvin and Brittany had gotten into dozens of fights throughout their vacation and almost ruined it on numerous occasions. At this point, Dave had had enough._

"_Dave," Brittany began. "Alvin stole my favorite necklace and he won't give it back!" Brittany complained, earning a quick glare from Alvin._

"_I did not!" Alvin yelled._

"_Did too!" Brittany yelled back._

"_Did not!" Alvin yelled._

"_Did too!" Brittany yelled._

_Dave watched the two going back and forth, 'How can these two fight SO much?' he thought, but he quickly snapped out of his trance and tried to stop them._

"_Guys…" Dave said quietly._

"_DID NOT!" Alvin screamed._

"_Guys…" Dave said louder, slightly irritated._

"_DID TOO!" Brittany screamed back._

"_GUYS!" Dave yelled, getting both of their attentions in a second. "Now Alvin, did you take her necklace?"_

"_I… I…" Alvin stammered._

"_Alvin," Dave began. "Did you, or did you not, take Brittany's necklace?"_

_Alvin didn't answer, he just nodded his head slightly as he looked away from them both._

"_Where is it?" Dave sighed._

_Again, Alvin didn't respond. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out; he slowly extended his arm and opened his hand. In his palm, was a beautiful white gold chain._

_Without a second glance, Brittany quickly snatched the chain of his hand and glared at him._

"_My mother gave this to me," Brittany began as she studied the necklace. "Why would you take it?"_

_Once more, Alvin didn't answer. He reached over to her and pointed at link in the chain, but it wasn't a link that belonged with the rest._

"_What did you do?" Brittany exclaimed with a horrified look on her face. "Why did you do that?"_

_Alvin reached his hand down further and rolled over the added link. Brittany looked at him questionably before turning her attention to the link._

_She studied it for a moment and saw that, while it didn't fit the design of the necklace, it was another white gold link, but there was something engraved on it. She squinted towards the link and gasped as she saw it._

_On the link, were the letters "A&B 4ever" engraved on it._

_Brittany looked away from the link and glanced at Alvin; he still had his head and wasn't looking at either her or Dave._

"_I'm sorry…" Alvin whispered, titling his head even further down in shame._

_Brittany looked at his hurt expression and smiled; she quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug._

"_Thank you, Alvin," Brittany began."I love it."_

_Dave watched the two and smiled before heading out of the door and outside once again._

"_So, you're not mad?" Alvin asked quietly, breaking out of her embrace and staring into her blue eyes._

"_Of course not," Brittany replied as she stared into his blue eyes as well. "Will you help me put it on?" Brittany asked as she held out the chain towards Alvin._

_Alvin took the chain and smiled as he reached over Brittany's head and locked the two sides of the chain together._

"_So what now?" Alvin asked as he watched Brittany stare at the chain in the mirror._

"_Want to go to the park?" Brittany asked._

"_Sure." Alvin said as they headed out of the door._

_They snuck past Dave and their siblings to avoid being asked for help and walked towards the park together. As they entered through the park's gate, they instantly looked towards the swing set and smiled as they saw that it was empty. They both shared a gentle smile as they ran towards the swings as fast as they could. They reached the set and noticed that only two had still not been broken, and they were right next to each other._

_Brittany quickly sat on the swing towards the left of the park and Alvin took a seat on the one next to each other, however, as he sat down, he felt the rope begin to break. He tried to jump off of the swing, but it fell before he could have the chance, making him land onto the ground with a thud._

"_Are you okay, Alvin?" Brittany asked as she jumped off of her swing and knelt down beside him._

"_Yeah," Alvin began as he gently rubbed his butt. "I'm fine. Let's go." Alvin said as he gripped one of the ropes of the only working swing._

"_But there's only one left…" Brittany said._

"_I know," Alvin said happily. "Sit down."_

"_O-Okay…" Brittany said quietly as she sat down._

_To her surprise, Alvin had started pushing her on the swing. She couldn't help but laugh; there was just something about swinging on a swing set that made her feel calm and happy._

"_Higher Alvin, higher!" Brittany laughed as she looked towards the sky._

_Alvin obliged and began pushing a little harder. He knew that he wanted to make Brittany happy, but he honestly didn't expect himself to enjoy it, but in a strange way… he did._

_Suddenly, Brittany flew off of the swing and landed on the ground a few feet in front of the set._

"_Brittany?" Alvin shouted as he ran towards her. She wasn't moving. "Brittany, are you okay?" Alvin asked as he rolled her over. To his surprise, Brittany was laughing._

_Brittany grabbed Alvin by the shirt and rolled him over. They began tumbling together but they slowly came to a stop with Brittany on top of Alvin as they both lay there staring into each others' eyes, blushing deeply._

_They both came to their senses and Brittany quickly got off of Alvin's body._

"_I'm sorry…" Brittany said, embarrassed._

"_Me too…" Alvin responded, but they both looked at each other and started laughing. "Are you hungry?" Alvin asked, looking towards the ice cream vendor down the park's road._

"_Sure." Brittany said as she smiled, took Alvin's hand, and led him towards the vendor._

_They both had gotten the same type of ice cream, a triple fudge cone. Once they finished they both looked at each other and started laughing, both of their faces were drenched in ice cream._

"_What?" They both asked in unison._

_They laughed again._

"_You've got a little…" They both said, again, in unison._

_They quickly grabbed napkins that the vendor gave them and wiped their faces. They looked at each other and smiled again, again, they stared into each others' eyes. But once again, they blinked out of their trances and looked away, blushing._

_Alvin felt something hit his foot, he looked down, it was a soccer ball. Alvin picked it up and looked around, 'Where did this come from?' Alvin thought as he bounced it on his knee._

"_Whose is that?" Brittany asked as she stood up and watched him perform tricks with the ball._

"_I don't know," Alvin began as he bounced the ball behind him. "But it's ours now." Alvin said as he kicked the ball from behind him and caught it in front of him._

"_Wow," Brittany said, truly amazed at what Alvin had just done. "How did you do that?"_

"_Want me to teach you?" Alvin smirked._

"_Will you?" Brittany asked innocently._

"_Sure." Alvin said as he walked closer to Brittany._

"_Alright, the whole secret is to stay focused and just hit the ball with any parts of your leg." Alvin said as he handed Brittany the ball. "Try bouncing it on your knee first."_

_Brittany focused her mind and dropped the ball, quickly bouncing it back up with the top of her knee._

"_I'm doing it!" Brittany exclaimed as she smiled towards Alvin, who was also smiling._

"_Good job." Alvin said happily._

_Brittany continued bouncing but accidently hit the ball with her foot, causing it to fly backwards over a brick wall._

"_Whoops…" Brittany said quietly. "Sorry…"_

"_Don't worry about it," Alvin said as he smiled at her. "Let's see if we can still get it." Alvin said as he approached the wall._

_Bushes covered the wall, but Alvin quickly pushed himself through them until he reached the wall._

"_Come on, Brittany." Alvin said as he tried to clear a path through the bush._

"_Coming." Brittany said as she reluctantly stepped through the bush._

_Once they both faced the wall, they studied it for a second. It was a very tall wall, the town built them to try and protect the even taller trees that inhabited the park. While it was hard for anyone to cut the trees down, people would loiter around them, climb them, and sometimes even built things within them._

_Alvin bent down and examined the very bottom of the wall. He slowly touched one of the bricks and gave a small push, to his surprise, it was loose._

"_Hey, look at this." Alvin whispered as he pushed the brick through the wall. "Let's see if we can make a big enough hole." Alvin said as he continued to push weak bricks in the same area._

_Brittany quickly knelt down and helped him, after a few minutes, they had cleared a good twenty bricks and they were confident that they could fit through the hole now._

"_Want to go first?" Alvin asked with a grin on his face._

"_No thanks." Brittany replied._

_Alvin smirked at her and lay on his back and slowly rolled through the hole._

"_Alvin?" Brittany asked as she watched him roll under it._

"_Britt… you have to see this!" Alvin exclaimed as he reached his hand through the hole to guide her through it._

_Once on the other side, Brittany quickly got herself off of the ground and subconsciously started brushing the dirt off of her outfit. Satisfied, she looked up and let out a sharp gasp._

_It was an enclosed area around a single tree, but the tree was blooming. The entire area around the tree was filled with light pink pedals._

"_Alvin… it's beautiful…" Brittany whispered as she took a few steps into the pink landscape._

_Alvin smiled at her reaction and grabbed her hand as they skipped towards the tree, laughing. Once they got closer to the tree, Alvin quickly grabbed her waist and pulled them both onto the floor._

_Brittany laughed and threw a handful of pedals at Alvin, he smirked and threw pedals at her as well. They both continued their pedal fight until they both lay on the ground, covered in pink pedals, and laughing. They stared at each other for a few seconds, each getting locked in each others' eyes, but they suddenly came to and looked away, both blushing a deep red._

_Alvin went to stand up, but Brittany sneakily tackled him from behind, causing both of them to tumble across the ground. When their tumbling came to an abrupt stop, Brittany was on top of Alvin, and their lips were pressed together._

_They both slowly wrapped their arms around each other and enjoyed the moment. After a few moments, they both reluctantly pulled away to take a breath._

_They both lay there, blushing and staring deep into their partner's eyes. At the moment, Alvin was speechless._

_This was his rival, his enemy, his best friend… so why did he like it?_

_Despite not thinking about it for too long, Alvin had decided the reason. He quickly grabbed Brittany's shoulders and led her down in to a second, shorter, but more passionate kiss._

_As they pulled away once again, Brittany pulled Alvin up to his feet and led him to the lone tree that was in the area. Once they were in front of the tree, Brittany gently sat down, pulling Alvin down along with her._

_They didn't say anything; they just sat there, both watching the clouds above them gently move along in the breeze. Alvin was lying with his head on Brittany's lap and she was sitting against the tree, watching. Suddenly, Alvin let out a small giggle._

"_What?" Brittany asked, slightly giggling herself._

"_Oh, nothing," Alvin said as he let out a small laugh. "I just saw a cloud that looked like a whale."_

"_Where?" Brittany said as she looked up. "Oh, I see it!" Brittany giggled._

_Alvin sighed as he shifted himself to get more comfortable, once settled, he closed his eyes. Brittany watched him and before she knew it, he had fallen asleep. Brittany sighed with happiness and closed her eyes, falling asleep herself._

_They both lay there for a few hours before Alvin began stirring, waking Brittany up in the progress. Alvin looked up and saw that he was still laying on Brittany's lap, but she hadn't opened her eyes yet. _

_Alvin looked further up and let out a short gasp, it was no longer a clear blue sky. It was the beginning of a sunset; the sky had turned into a beautiful mix of red and orange. Alvin shook Brittany gently, making her stir slowly._

"_Hmm," Brittany moaned as she stretched her arms and looked at Alvin. "What is it?" She asked. Alvin didn't answer, he simply pointed towards the sky._

_Brittany followed his hand and set her eyes upon the sky, letting out a small gasp herself._

"_Wow…" Brittany whispered as she stared into the sky._

"_Yeah…" Alvin whispered back as they both sat there and enjoyed the sight that they were fortunate enough to witness._

_As they sunset finally came to an end, they both got up off of the floor and stretched their tired bodies._

"_Come on," Alvin began as he smiled at Brittany. "Everyone's probably worried."_

"_Yeah…" Brittany whispered with a strong hint of disappointment in her voice._

"_What's wrong?" Alvin asked as he walked over to her._

"_I don't want to leave." Brittany pouted._

"_Neither do I," Alvin said as he walked over to her and smiled. "I have an idea."_

"_What?" Brittany questioned the red-clad chipmunk._

_Alvin looked around the area before fixing his vision on a jagged rock near one of the brick walls. He quickly grabbed it and walked over to the tree._

_Brittany tried to see what he was doing, but he covered his work with his body so she had no choice but to wait._

"_There…" Alvin whispered as he stepped back from the tree._

_Alvin had carved the words 'A+B 4ever' into the tree with the rock and surrounded it with a heart._

"_Oh, Alvin…" Brittany whispered as she hugged Alvin._

_She slowly released him and pressed her lips against his. As they broke apart, they both stared into each others' eyes._

"_I love you, Alvin." Brittany sighed as she buried her head into his chest._

"_I love you too, Brittany." Alvin said as he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. "Let's both promise to never tell anyone about this place." Alvin said sternly. "This'll just be a place for us, a place to come to if we need to get away from someone or something, somewhere to be alone." Alvin smiled as he held up his pinky finger. "Pinky promise…"_

"_Pinky promise…" Brittany said as she locked her pinky finger with Alvin's._

_They both smiled at each other before they exited through the hole in the wall. Once on the other side, Alvin grabbed at large stick and thrust it through the bush that was directly over the hole._

"_What's that for?" Brittany questioned._

"_It's so that we can always find it." Alvin explained as he grabbed Brittany's hand and started walking with her. "Now, come on, let's go."_

"_Okay." Brittany smiled as they both walked back to their homes._

_-End of flashback-_

After that, life returned to normal for both of them. Alvin and Brittany went back to fighting on a regular basis and it seemed that both had forgotten about their day in the park. Secretly however, neither of them had stopped thinking about it. One day, Brittany's white gold chain broke and she immediately went to Miss Miller to have it fixed. Although the jeweler promised to fix the necklace, Brittany made sure that he knew to be extremely careful with one part of the chain, it was the link that Alvin had given to her.

Tears dripped down Alvin's cheeks and stained his shirt as he looked upon the area. He slowly waked forward, observing every little detail along the way.

The once beautiful pedals that inhabited the area had been blown away except for a few, but they were mostly decomposed.

Alvin continued to walk forward and saw that the words that he had carved into the tree were still there as if they had been written recently.

Alvin slowly walked up to the tree and sat down at its base.

"I'm so sorry, Brittany…" Alvin whispered as he hugged his knees and started to sob. "I should have been there! I should have been there for you!"

He lay down in the same position that he had that day with Brittany. He closed his eyes and imagined her next to him.

"I'll find you, Brittany… I promise…" Alvin whispered before he fell asleep.

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And that's the end of this chapter!

**I don't really consider this a cliffhange, so... you shouldn't either.... lol**

**READ AND REVIEW! PLEASE!**


	10. The Return

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Well, this is a mixed chapter...**

**That's REALLY LONG!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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**Chapter 10: The Return**

_**As Alvin began to regain consciousness, he tried to sit up, letting a long groan out in the process. He began to slowly open his eyes, once they were open; he took a long glace around.**_

_**Nothing but darkness…**_

'_**What the…' Alvin began, but a sudden breeze of cold air cut him off.**_

'_**Alvin?' A voice asked slowly.**_

_**Alvin looked around himself, but again, he only saw darkness. While he didn't know whose voice it was, it was undoubtedly familiar to him. He had an idea on whose voice it was, but he wanted to make sure.**_

'_**Hello?' Alvin asked into the darkness.**_

'_**Alvin?' The voice asked again.**_

_**This time, Alvin was sure who it was.**_

'_**Brittany?' Alvin asked excitedly. 'Where are you?'**_

'_**I'm here, Alvin.' Brittany answered.**_

_**Alvin looked around himself once again. It was still darkness and every direction, but this time, to his left was pink-clad chipmunk sitting next to him.**_

'_**Brittany!' Alvin yelled as he ran up to Brittany and brought her into a hug. 'Where've you been?' Alvin asked as he continued to hold Brittany.**_

'_**Never mind that,' Brittany began as she broke out of Alvin's embrace, causing him to stare at her with confusion. 'Why'd you run away from everyone?' Brittany asked the confused chipmunk.**_

'_**Because they weren't going to tell me that you were kidnapped,' Alvin answered. 'They didn't car-'**_

'_**Don't you remember the last time that you ran away?' Brittany asked, cutting him off. 'Don't you remember what I told you?'**_

'_**What do you mean?' Alvin asked, still confused.**_

'_**Think,' Brittany said sternly. 'Think about what I told you that night.'**_

_**Alvin reluctantly nodded and started to think into his past memories…**_

_-Flashback-_

_It was late on a Thursday night. The Chipmunks were in their rooms waiting for Dave to call them down for dinner. The Chipmunks and Chipettes had a big science project that they had been working on for the past few weeks. Unfortunately for Alvin, it was an individual project._

"_You seem to be in a good mood, Alvin." Simon said as he looked at Alvin. "I thought Ms. Harris said that she was going to call Dave if any of us didn't turn in our projects today."_

"_She did." Alvin answered happily as he played with his hat._

"_You mean to tell me that you actually completed the assignment?" Simon asked with a shocked expression on his face._

"_Surprised?" Alvin asked Simon with a grin on his face._

"_Actually," Simon began as he fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Yes."_

"_I am too," Theodore said quietly. "I never thought you'd actually get it done."_

"_Whatever…" Alvin scoffed._

_Before any of them could continue the conversation, they heard a light tap on their door._

"_Come on guys," Dave said from behind the door. "Dinner's ready."_

_The three quickly headed downstairs and into the dining room, taking their seats as they entered. Dave took his seat as well and started to cut the lasagna he had made into pieces._

"_So, how was school?" Dave asked as he started to fill the boys' plates with food._

"_Good." They answered in unison, making Dave briefly chuckle._

"_Well," Dave began as he handed them their plates. "I haven't gotten a call from anyone, so I suppose I can trust you." Dave said as he looked directly at Alvin._

"_A little MORE trust would be appreciated…" Alvin mumbled._

"_Excuse me?" Dave asked as he raised an eyebrow._

"_Nothing…" Alvin sighed as he started to eat._

_As the three boys finished their meals, they got up from the table and placed their dirty plates into the sink in the kitchen._

"_Thanks Dave!" The three said together as they quickly headed up the stairs._

_Once they reached the top of the stairs, they headed into their room. After Simon and Theodore fully entered the room, Alvin entered and quickly closed the door behind them._

"_What are you doing, Alvin?" Simon asked as he watched Alvin's mischievous smile grow. "Whatever you're planning to do… don't do it." Simon warned._

"_When have I ever been known to do anything bad?" Alvin smirked but his smile faded as he thought about it and shook his head. "Don't answer that…"_

_Simon rolled his eyes and watched Alvin reach underneath his bed and pull out a small wooden box._

"_What's that?" Theodore asked curiously as he approached Alvin._

"_A small gift I got from a friend." Alvin answered as he rubbed the top of the box._

"_And who might that friend be?" Simon asked as he walked over to Alvin as well._

"_Jimmy…" Alvin mumbled._

"_Jimmy? 'Jimmy' who?" Simon asked as he raised an eyebrow, but his face turned pale as he thought of the only 'Jimmy' he knew, but he hoped that he was wrong. "You don't mean Jimmy Peterson… do you?"_

_When Alvin stopped caressing the box and had a shocked expression on his face, Simon got even more worried as he knew the answer._

"_Alvin," Theodore said quietly. "Dave told us to stay away from Jimmy Peterson, remember?"_

"_Oh please, what did Jimmy do that was so bad?" Alvin asked as he crossed his arms._

"_How about almost burning down the school for starters." Simon said as he tried to take the box away, but Alvin grabbed it before Simon had the chance and stood up with it._

"_Yeah, he ALMOST burned it down." Alvin said, emphasizing the 'almost.'_

"_He also almost got expelled for it." Simon retorted. Seeing Alvin unaffected by the argument, Simon sighed in annoyance. "What did he give you anyway?"_

"_The coolest thing ever." Alvin answered as he slowly opened the box._

_Inside the box was a stack of bottle rockets or in other words, fireworks._

"_No." Simon stated sternly._

_Alvin smiled and reached his hand into the box and tried to pull one of the rockets out, however, Simon grabbed his hand and stopped him._

"_Calm down, Simon." Alvin smirked. "Nothing bad is going to happen."_

_As Simon was about to reply, Alvin saw his chance and quickly grabbed one of the rockets and headed towards the window in the room. Alvin opened the window and pulled out a matchbook out of his pocket and began striking one of the matches._

"_Don't do it Alvin!" Simon shouted, but he was too late._

_The match became ignited and Alvin held it towards the fuse of the firework. As the fuse started to spark and the flame trailed its way towards the firework itself, Alvin quickly pointed the head of the rocket out of the window._

_In a few seconds, a loud whistling sound was heard before a distant bang._

"_That…" Alvin began as he stepped away from the window. "Was awesome!"_

"_You're lucky that nothing bad happened; now give me the rest of them." Simon said as he extended his hand towards Alvin._

"_No way!" Alvin said as he grabbed another rocket out of the box._

_Simon expected Alvin to go back and shoot another one out of the window. In a way, this made him feel at ease. However, Alvin didn't simply return to the window, instead, he began looking around the room. Fixing his sights upon his target, Alvin made his way over to Theodore's bed and picked up a stuffed animal._

"_Hey!" Theodore shouted. "That's my favorite bear!"_

_Theodore went to chase after Alvin, but his body froze as he saw Alvin grab the roll of tape that was sitting on top of their dresser._

"_Alvin," Simon began, starting to get slightly nervous. "Please don't tell me you're planning on doing what I think you're going to do."_

_Instead of answering, Alvin held the stuffed animal around the rocket, tied it with tape, and headed towards the window._

"_Please don't do it, Alvin!" Theodore cried._

"_Don't worry Theo; you have plenty of other toys." Alvin said as he pulled out another match. "Besides, you're getting too old fo-"_

"_Alvin!" Simon shouted, cutting Alvin off. "Don't say something like that, and don't you dare light that fuse."_

"_Come on," Alvin sighed. "What's the big deal?" Alvin asked his two younger brothers._

"_The big deal is that it's dangerous." Simon answered as he crossed his arms._

"_It's not dangerous if you know what you're doing." Alvin smirked as he started to strike the match he was holding._

"_Alvin!" Theodore screeched. "Not my bear!"_

_As Alvin ignited the fuse of the rocket, he pointed it out the window. In a short second, a second loud whistle was heard, followed by a somewhat muffled bang._

_For a few moments, everything was silent. But suddenly, Theodore started crying._

"_Come on Theo," Alvin began as he walked over to the green-clad chipmunk and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have plenty of other bears."_

"_No!" Theodore cried, shaking off Alvin's hand. "That bear was SPECIAL!"_

_Alvin became confused, he was about to ask Theodore WHY it was special, but suddenly Dave's voice was heard._

"_Boys, come down here right now!" Dave shouted._

_The three boys gulped before they reluctantly made their way down the stairs and into the living room. Theodore had stopped crying but he still looked depressed, Simon was trying to comfort him, however, Alvin seemed unaffected by either of his brothers._

"_Sit down." Dave demanded as he watched the three enter the room._

_The boys slowly took a seat on the couch that was besides them and waited for Dave to begin._

"_Alright," Dave began. "I just got off of the phone with Ms. Harris."_

_Simon rolled his eyes at Dave's statement, but when he looked back at Dave, he became confused. He expected Dave to be giving Alvin an angry look, but he wasn't. The angry look was directed towards Simon._

"_Simon," Dave began. "Ms. Harris told me that you didn't hand in your project today."_

"_W-What?" Simon asked, slightly horrified. "I turned it in this morning!"_

"_Simon, Ms. Harris said that she never got it." Dave said sternly. "You don't need to lie." Dave sighed._

"_But Dave!" Simon shouted. "I swear I handed it in!"_

"_Simon-" Dave began, but Simon quickly cut him off._

"_I don't know what could've happened to it…" Simon shouted as tears started to flood his eyes._

_The science project that Ms. Harris assigned was the last project of the marking period, and the teacher made it perfectly clear that anyone would fail for the marking period if they failed to hand it in. And today was the last day of the marking period; Ms. Harris would've surely entered the grades into her computer by now._

_While the boys were only in the second grade, science was a big part of Simon's life. It was Simon's favorite subject, something he only shared with one other person, Jeanette. And he was horrified to see what she would think if she found out that he had failed the class._

_He shifted his sight around the room, trying to think of what might've happened to his project. His eyes stopped upon Alvin. Alvin was sitting next to him, smiling. Suddenly, his thoughts came together._

"_Dave," Simon began. "Was I the only one who didn't turn in the project?"_

"_Ms. Harris told me that Alvin and Theodore handed in their projects," Dave sighed. "So, that's a yes."_

"_I can't believe you…" Simon mumbled, turning towards Alvin._

"_What do you mean?" Alvin smirked. "Looks like someone's jealous because I handed in my project and they didn-" Alvin began but Simon tackled him down to the floor before he had time to finish his sentence._

"_Hey!" Dave yelled as he pulled the two boys apart. "Simon, what's gotten into you?"_

"_Dave! Alvin stole my project!" Simon yelled, pointing towards Alvin._

"_What are you talking about?" Alvin responded._

"_Simon, just because you didn't finish your project, that doesn't give you the right to blame Alvin." Dave scolded._

"_Dave, you SAW me work on my project, I even showed you the finished thing!" Simon said, toning his voice down. "Did you see Alvin get ANY work done?"_

_Dave was speechless._

"_Alvin," Dave began quietly. "Did you take Simon's project?"_

"_Dave… that hurts… that really… hurts…" Alvin said as he faked a 'hurt' expression and grabbed his heart._

"_Alvin…" Dave said in a threatening tone._

"_I… I… I…" Alvin stammered nervously._

"_I can't believe this!" Simon yelled. "First you blow Theodore's favorite bear to bits, then I find out that you steal my project and cost me my science grade?!" Simon questioned Alvin in an increasingly harsh tone._

_Alvin looked around him, Theodore was still silently sobbing into his lap, Dave had an extremely disappointed look on his face, and Simon's eyes were full of anger and rage._

"_Sorry…" Alvin whispered, finally realizing what he had done._

"'_Sorry'? That's all you have to say? 'Sorry'?" Simon asked angrily._

"_Simon, calm down." Dave said as he noticed Simon's increasing anger._

"_No!" Simon yelled. "I'm tired with him getting away with everything!" Simon said, looking back towards Alvin. "I WISH YOU WEREN'T MY BROTHER ANYMORE!"_

_Everyone, everything, became silent._

_Alvin felt like Simon had just ripped out his heart and violently stomped on it. Even though he never showed it, Alvin truly loved and cared for his brothers, and he would do anything for them._

"_W-What?" Alvin whispered, his eyes wide open._

"_You heard me, just get out of here!" Simon shouted as he turned his back towards Alvin._

_Alvin then did something that no one ever expected, he started crying. Hearing sobs, Simon turned around to see his brother with tears flowing down his cheeks._

"_Alvin…" Simon began sympathetically. He knew he hurt his brother and he knew he didn't mean what he said, but Alvin quickly got up and ran out the front door._

"_ALVIN!" Dave screamed as he ran after him, but Alvin was just too fast._

_Alvin was always good when it came to sports, that was mainly because he would try to do the best he possibly could and even beyond that, and his hard work paid off when he was on the field. But even so, Alvin could tell, this was one of the times that he had run fastest in his life. And he didn't slow down, he didn't look back, he just continued running forward._

_Despite what Alvin had done in the past, Simon had never gotten that angry at him. Alvin would usually shrug off the anger and bitterness that came along with a fight with Simon, but this time, Alvin felt as if Simon had gone too far. Sure, Alvin had said some pretty nasty things to Simon over the years, but not once did he ever wish that Simon wasn't his brother… he just couldn't bring himself to think like that._

_Alvin continued running down the street, he was still crying, but he didn't care. He knew that he needed to stop and think, but he knew that he couldn't just stop anywhere, he needed to hide. Without thinking about it first, confronting Simon could entirely blow up and even more hurtful things would be said. Well, that, and the fact that Dave knew everything now and Alvin was sure that he'd be punished._

_Fearing the consequences, Alvin took a quick left and ran into the town's park. This was the first time Alvin had ever come into the park to run away from something, so being his first time; he didn't know where to go._

_As he ran through the park, Alvin's sight quickly darted into every location, looking for somewhere to hide. As he was about to lose hope, Alvin fixed his sights on the batting cages. With no other choice, Alvin quickly ran up to the empty cages and hid behind them._

_Feeling safe, Alvin slowly leaned up against the building that accompanied the actual cages and slowly slid down onto the floor. As he touched the floor, Alvin began crying again. As much as he tried to accept it and move on, Alvin just couldn't get past what Simon had said to him. While Alvin knew that he wasn't a very emotional person, he simply sat on the ground and bawled his eyes out. _

_For what seemed like hours, Alvin didn't move, he didn't speak, he simply laid there. He wasn't crying anymore, it seemed like that he wouldn't be able to cry anymore even if he wanted to. He laid there thinking about what he had done to his brothers over the years. He never believe himself to actually hurt his brothers or take advantage of them, but looking back on it all, he could tell that he wasn't always the best brother to them._

_Suddenly, a soft crunching noise was heard._

_Alvin stood straight up, almost sure that someone was coming close to where he was. Alvin panicked, he wasn't done thinking yet and he was sure that he wasn't ready to return home yet. As Alvin began to get up and run again, a soft feminist voice was heard._

"_Is that you, Alvin?" The voice asked in a whisper._

_At first Alvin didn't know who it was, but he knew that it had to be one of the Chipettes._

"_Brittany?" Alvin guessed in an equally quiet whisper._

_There was a short silence and Alvin was about to guess again, but a small pink shoe came into view from the corner of the building proving that Alvin's first guess was correct._

"_There you are." Brittany said as she walked over to Alvin. "I heard what happened."_

"_Oh…" Alvin muttered as he gazed at the floor._

"_Are you okay?" Brittany asked as she gently approached Alvin._

"_Yeah, I guess..." Alvin sighed._

"_Alvin," Brittany began. "We both know that you're a terrible liar."_

_Alvin tried to smile at her, but he could only offer a weak grin before it fell into a frown._

"_Why would you steal Simon's science project?" Brittany asked as she stood there._

"_I don't know." Alvin answered. "I guess because I didn't finish mine." Alvin said as he took a seat on the ground once again._

"_Why didn't you just ask for help?" Brittany questioned as she slowly walked over to Alvin and took a seat next to him._

"_Because I didn't feel like getting a lecture from Simon about 'organizing myself' and being 'more prepared.'" Alvin retorted in a mocking voice._

"_I never said that you needed to ask Simon." Brittany said as she took hint to Alvin's frustration._

_She knew that Simon was almost right about everything, and it was extremely annoying. And the worse part about it was that if Simon WAS right, he wouldn't gloat about it, he would just never let you live it down._

"_And who else was I supposed to ask?" Alvin asked Brittany. "Dave? He would've been the same as Simon."_

"_Well," Brittany began as she thought in her head. "You could've asked me!"_

"_Brittany-" Alvin began, but Brittany put her hand in front of his face to stop him from continuing._

"_Don't say it, I get it." Brittany sighed._

_The truth was, Brittany was like Alvin, she hated science. Brittany did manage to hand in her project on time, but that was only because she finally got Jeanette to help her._

"_Exactly." Alvin said as he crossed his arms._

"_Alright," Brittany began. "So I kind of understand why you would steal Simon's project. But I also heard about what you did to Theodore's bear."_

"_Why does everyone keep bringing that up?" Alvin asked, clearly annoyed. "It was just a stupid bear, Theodore has plenty more!"_

"_Alvin," Brittany whispered. "That bear was very special to Theodore."_

"_Again," Alvin began, even more annoyed than before. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"_

"_You don't remember?" Brittany asked. But Alvin's confused look was more than enough of an answer. "Alvin, that was the bear that Eleanor gave to Theodore." Brittany said quietly as he vision fell to the floor._

_Alvin sat there, his mouth fully agape. He couldn't believe that it was THAT bear that he had used for his fireworks._

_On the Chipmunks' last birthday, Eleanor gave Theodore a bear as his present. And even though it was a just another stuffed animal, Theodore treated it like his most prized possession. But that's only because it came from Eleanor._

_Everyone knew that Theodore and Eleanor liked each other, out of all six of the kids; they were the most open with their relationship. They were best friends, and everyone knew that someday, they'd be more than that. But regardless, it was the first time that Eleanor had ever given something like that to Theodore._

"_What have I done?" Alvin muttered as he felt a few tears drip down his face but he quickly wiped them with his sleeve._

"_Alvin," Brittany sighed. "You need to apologize. To everyone." Brittany said as she stood up off of the floor and brushed the dirt off of her outfit._

"_I know…" Alvin mumbled as he stood up as well._

"_Come on." Brittany said as she started to head out of the cover of the building._

"_Wait…" Alvin said, stopping Brittany right before she walked off too far. "Brittany?"_

"_Yes, Alvin?" Brittany asked as she turned around to face him._

"_Do you think he meant it?" Alvin asked quietly._

"_What?" Brittany asked, confused._

"_Do you think Simon meant what he said?" Alvin asked as he felt tears start to fill his eyes again, but he refused to let them fall._

"_Alvin," Brittany began as she walked over to him again. "I'll have you know, Simon feels terrible."_

"_Why?" Alvin asked as he looked into her ice-blue eyes._

"_Because he realizes that he really hurt you." Brittany answered as she stared into his eyes as well._

"_But I've been such a jerk to them; I wouldn't blame them if they hated me." Alvin said quietly as he looked at the floor._

"_Alvin, they could never hate you." Brittany said as she raised Alvin's head up so that they were looking at each other again. "Just remember, no matter what you do, no matter what you say, you're all still going to be a family. They only want the best for you, even if you don't understand what that is."_

"_What do you mean?" Alvin asked._

"_I mean, they're always going to love you and look out for you. Whenever you have a problem, they're going to be there to help you. You don't always need to do everything alone, let them help you, and I'll be there to help you as well." Brittany said as she hugged Alvin._

"_Thanks, Brittany." Alvin said as he sniffled back tears and took her by the hand and led them out into the open. "Let's go."_

_And with that, they started walking towards the Seville household._

_-End of flashback-_

'_**You told me that they'd always be there for me.' Alvin whispered as he looked up at Brittany.**_

'_**Exactly,' Brittany responded. 'They care Alvin, they just want to help. You need to go back to them Alvin, they're your family, it's where you belong.'**_

'_**Why does it matter?' Alvin asked as he closed his eyes for a brief second. 'You're bac-' But Alvin stopped himself. After opening his eyes, Brittany was gone.**_

'_**Brittany?' Alvin called out, but there was no response.**_

'_**Brittany?' Alvin called out again, slightly louder. But again, there was no response, no sound came from anything.**_

"BRITTANY!" Alvin screamed as he sat up and opened his eyes.

He quickly looked around; he was in the enclosed area in the park. _'Was that all a dream?'_ Alvin thought as he brushed his fingers through the fur on the top of his head. _'It must have been…'_ Alvin decided as he lay against the tree in the area. _'But it felt so real…'_

Alvin slowly stood up and stretched as best he could. Remembering the sight he found yesterday, Alvin pulled up his shirt and looked at his chest. While the swelling of his ribs and chest had gone down, the wound from the gunshot only looked worse.

Alvin decided that he needed to start searching for Brittany again so he began walking towards the hole in the brick wall. Although he had gotten a fair amount of rest, his body was still stiff. Plus, he was starving. But Alvin didn't pay attention to it; he quickly dropped to the floor, rolled through the hole, and sat up in the bush to make sure that the coast was clear.

Seeing no one in the park, Alvin quickly darted out of the bush and started to fun along the park's road but he stopped himself. _'Wait a minute…'_ Alvin thought as he walked back up to the bush, picked up another stick, and thrust it through the bush right above the hole in the wall. _'There…'_ Alvin thought as he turned around and began walking along the park's road.

Alvin began walking down another street outside of the park, determined to find Brittany as soon as he could, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't get that dream he had out of his mind.

"What was she trying to tell me?" Alvin muttered to himself. He was convinced that it was _more_ than a simple dream, but he wasn't sure what it had been.

Like any normal dream, Alvin had a fairly hard time trying to remember the dream in great detail, but he tried as best as he could. _'What did she tell me to do?'_ Alvin asked himself, trying to recall the end of the dream. Suddenly, it hit him. Everything made sense.

'_**They care Alvin, they just want to help. You need to go back to them Alvin, they're your family, it's where you belong.'**_

Brittany's words were ringing in Alvin's mind like a broken record. _'She wants me to go home…'_ Alvin concluded as he looked towards the sky and considered it. _'What if they won't let me keep looking for Brittany?' _Alvin thought. _'No, Brittany says that they just want to help, and I have to believe her…'_ Alvin decided as he turned around and began heading towards a new destination, home.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

Brittany awoke to soft footsteps coming closer to the door. She was afraid of whom it might be, but she was still tied up and she knew that she wasn't strong enough to fight against the rope that held her bound.

Although she had gotten food, she lost a lot of her energy all of the times that she woke up in the middle of the night. It was mix of things that kept her up at night. It switched between the snoring of her kidnappers, the peculiar banging sound that was sourced outside the building she was being held in, and just plain nightmares.

There was a quiet knock at the door before it slowly swung open and Ben came into the room with another tray of food.

"Here," Ben said as closed the door behind him. "I brought you something to eat." He said as he put the tray down and untied Brittany.

At first, Brittany didn't move.

"Why am I getting food if I'm kidnapped?" Brittany questioned.

"Well," Ben began quietly. "You're not actually supposed to get lunch." He sighed. "This is mine."

Brittany was confused. She was being held prisoner, for a reason she didn't even know. Why was Ben being so nice to her?

"Thanks…" Brittany muttered as she began to eat.

"You don't have to thank me…" Ben sighed as he sat on the floor of the room. "You have every right to blame me for everything that's happened."

"Why did you do it?" Brittany asked, turning away from the food to stare Ben in the eyes. "Why would you even hang around those two?"

"We're brothers, all three of us. We look out for each other." Ben stated boldly. "And… I… I… can't tell you…" Ben stammered as he looked away from Brittany.

"Why?" Brittany asked in annoyance. "If I'm going to be forced to stay here, I might as well know why."

Ben didn't respond again, instead, he let out a long sigh. _'She's right…'_ Ben thought as he scratched his head.

"We're asking for five-hundred thousand dollars." Ben answered.

"What?" Brittany gasped, shocked. "Why would you even need that much money?"

"It's not for us…" Ben answered, trying to be as vague as possible.

"Then who's it for?" Brittany asked curiously.

Ben didn't answer. _'I've already told her too much.'_ Ben thought as he went to get up from the floor, but he stopped himself. _'No, I'm going to tell her.'_

"Let's just say we owe a lot of money to people you _don't_ want to owe money to…" Ben whispered, making Brittany gasp again.

"What do you mean?" Brittany questioned.

"We screwed up, and if we don't get enough money…" Ben began, but when he tried to continue, his eyes dropped a few tears. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Now, Brittany understood everything. She wouldn't know what she would do if she was in his position, and frankly, she didn't _want_ to know. But still, she felt bad for him.

"I'm sorry…" Brittany whispered as she gazed at the floor, but she suddenly thought of something. "What about your mom and dad?"

"They… well, it's complicated," Ben began. "They're not around anymore."

"Why not?" Brittany asked innocently.

"Our mother died when we were really young." Ben whispered, trying to hold back tears as hard as he could.

"And your dad?" Brittany questioned quietly.

"He tried to raise us by himself," Ben began coldly. "But he was bad…"

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked, obviously confused about what Ben meant by 'bad'.

"He wasn't the best dad," Ben began coldly. "He abused us... a lot…"

Brittany's eyes widened with horror. She had heard a few stories about children that were abused by their parents, and it terrified her. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like is she was abused by Miss Miller.

"That's awful…" Brittany stated, still in a horrific state.

"We know he tried, but the stress just got too much for him to handle. He would just get angry out of nowhere and beat us if we did the slightest thing wrong." Ben sighed.

Ben closed his eyes and tried to push the horrible memories of his childhood back into his mind. It didn't work. Now that the memories were reawakened, they refused to be suppressed again.

"So, what happened?" Brittany asked, breaking the silence that was forming around them.

"Well," Ben began as he took a deep breath. "One day, our father got completely drunk and the night ended with him almost killing us."

A sharp gasp escaped from Brittany's mouth as he eyes widened with a mix of shock and pure horror.

"So, we did what anyone would do," Ben said as he looked up at Brittany. "We ran away."

"That must've been awful…" Brittany whispered.

Brittany felt guilty that she was the one who made him talk about these painful memories, but they were already too deep into the conversation to just change the subject.

"Yeah, it was hard." Ben sighed. "Dom took the role of our 'father' by himself. He thought it was his responsibility as the oldest."

"Did he do a good job?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, he protected Mike and me." Ben said. "But we never truly got past what had happened. While Dom and I have generally accepted it, Mike still worries me. I feel like I don't even know him anymore…"

"You mean he wasn't always like this?" Brittany asked, shuttering at the thoughts of her encounter with the brute the previous day.

"No, he was actually really nice when we were younger, but… he changed." Ben said as he looked towards the door of the room. "But regardless, I'm sure there's still good in him."

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked.

"I… I hope so…" Ben said as got up off of the floor and grabbed the rope next to Brittany.

"Wait I-" Brittany began but Ben cut her off.

"I'm sorry, but Dom gave me specific orders." Ben said as he started to tie Brittany up.

"That doesn't mean you have to follow them…" Brittany retorted.

"Just remain calm." Ben said, trying to reassure her. "If everything goes along smoothly, you're going to be released."

"Really?" Brittany asked; hope glomming in her eyes once again.

"Really." Ben said as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Brittany was mad that Ben had left her alone again, but she was happy that she had a chance of freedom. But one worry plagued her mind. '_What if Miss Miller didn't have the five-hundred thousand dollars that they were asking for?'_ Brittany thought as she sighed.

**

* * *

**

With Alvin

While Alvin walked home, he made sure that every alley he passed, he checked for any signs of Brittany. However, he didn't find anything. As he approached the house, Alvin noticed Dave's car in the driveway, making it clear that everyone was home. Instead of going through the front door, Alvin quickly climbed the tree next to the house and jumped through the boys' bedroom window.

He was trying to be as quiet as possible. He knew that everyone would be up by now, and his thoughts were confirmed when he looked around, his brothers weren't in the room. _'I wonder where they are…'_ Alvin thought as he silently opened the bedroom door and gazed into the hallway. Seeing no one, Alvin closed the door and made his way down the stairs.

As Alvin entered the kitchen, he expected to see Dave, Simon, and Theodore eating breakfast… but they weren't. Just like their bedroom, the kitchen was empty. Getting more nervous by the minute, Alvin decided to keep searching for his family.

Alvin quickly entered the living room and gasped, as he found what he had been searching for. Dave was sleeping on one of the couches with Simon and Theodore silently sleeping on top of his chest. Around them, were decorations that filled the entire room. There were balloons, streamers, and a giant banner that read 'Welcome Back Alvin!'. But that wasn't what Alvin was surprised about. It was the fact that they were all tightly holding onto a picture frame, and the picture was the last family photo they all took together.

Alvin walked over to them and slowly slid the frame out of their grasps. Alvin sat on another couch in the living room and stared at the picture. The picture was taken two months ago, and even though they forced Alvin to smile, he dreaded being there. To go and take the picture, Alvin was forced to miss a monster special that was airing on television. After a fight between him and Dave, Alvin was eventually forced to go and although he never admitted it… he had fun.

Alvin silently walked back over to his family and slid the picture frame between Theodore's arms. Alvin then turned around to head out of the room to avoid waking anyone up, however, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Alvin felt his heart rate increase drastically as he heard stirring from the couch. He turned around and saw that Dave's eyes were opening. Alvin went to run, but it was too late…

"Alvin?" Dave muttered as he rubbed his temples out of exhaustion. He then looked back up at Alvin and saw that he _wasn't_ seeing things. "Alvin!" Dave shouted, waking up Simon and Theodore in the process.

"What? Alvin's back?" Theodore asked as he rubbed his eyes. But once he fully opened his eyes, tears of happiness dropped from them. "Alvin!" Theodore screamed as he ran up to Alvin and gave him a hug.

"Hey, Theodore…" Alvin whispered as he hugged his baby brother. "I hope you didn't miss me _too_ much." Alvin joked.

"Of course I did!" Theodore said as he smiled happily at Alvin.

Simon went to greet Alvin as well, but instead of talking, he simply went up and hugged Alvin as well.

"Okay guys…" Alvin began. "I can't breathe…"

"Sorry…" They both mumbled as they released their older brother.

"Alvin…" Dave began as he walked over to Alvin.

Dave knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to apologize, but it was still an awkward moment… for everyone.

"I'm sorry…" Alvin mumbled, looking away from Dave's eyes.

"No, I'm sorry." Dave said as he smiled at Alvin before giving him a hug.

After a few moments, the doorbell rang again reminding everyone what had woken them up in the first place.

Dave reluctantly released Alvin and made his way over to the door. He opened the door and saw Miss Miller standing at the front step with two very tired chipmunks.

"Hello, Miss Miller." Dave greeted as he smiled at her.

"Hello, Dave." Miss Miller responded as she smiled weakly at him in return. "May we come in?"

"Oh yes, of course." Dave said as he stood out of the way so that they could enter the house. "We just woke up and saw that Alvin had returned."

"Where is he?" Miss Miller asked as she yawned.

"He's in the living room…" Dave said, noticing Miss Miller's usual tiredness. "Miss Miller, are you okay?"

"I'm just a little tired, that's all." Miss Miller replied as she walked towards the living room with Jeanette and Eleanor following closely behind her.

As Miss Miller entered the living room, she saw that Alvin was sitting on one of the couches with his two brothers next to him.

"Oh Alvin dear," Miss Miller began as she ran up to him. "Did you find Brittany?"

Alvin looked at the worried expression on Miss Miller's face and his vision shifted towards the floor. Alvin didn't answer Miss Miller directly, but the soft shake of his head was enough of an answer. Miss Miller walked carelessly across the room, sat on one of the other couches, and started to gently cry.

"I'm sorry…" Alvin muttered as he stared at his feat.

Alvin slowly looked around him, Miss Miller was crying on the couch, Jeanette and Eleanor were both crying and being comforted by their counterparts and it was all his fault.

"This is all my fault…" Alvin sighed, making everyone in the room turn towards him and look at him in confusion.

"What do you mean, Alvin dear?" Miss Miller asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"If I was there for Brittany like I should've been… this wouldn't have happened..." Alvin muttered as he felt a few warm tears trickle down his cheeks. Instinctively, he brought his arm up to his head and covered his face.

"Oh Alvin, it's not your fault…" Miss Miller whispered as she got up and walked over to Alvin. "I'm so glad that Brittany has someone who cares so much about her." Miss Miller said as she smiled and hugged Alvin.

"I promise that I'll find Brittany and bring her back..." Alvin whispered as he broke out of Miss Miller's embrace.

"Alvin-" Miss Miller began, but Dave nervously cleared his throat, cutting her off.

"So," Dave began, trying to clear up the awkwardness he had just created. "Have you informed the police yet, Miss Miller?"

"Of course," Miss Miller answered. "That's actually the reason we came here. The station is sending an officer to ask everyone questions and I told them that they could come here to talk to all of us. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. When is the officer going to be here?" Dave asked as he looked at his wristwatch. "It's almost two thirty."

"Then he should be here any minute." Miss Miller said as she got up off of the couch and walked over to one of the living room windows.

Outside, Miss Miller saw a police car pull in front of the house and a suited officer get out of the car and walk towards the door.

"He's here." Miss Miller said as she went over to the front door and opened it for the officer. "Hello, Officer." Miss Miller greeted.

"Good day, ma'am." The officer said as he walked up to the front door.

"Hello, I'm David Seville." Dave said as he shook hands with the officer. "Please, come in." Dave said as he and Miss Miller stepped out of the way.

"Thank you." The officer said as he walked through the door. "Are the kids here as well?"

"Yes, they're in the living room." Dave replied.

"Alright, well the questions I'm here to ask are addressed to everyone, so I need to speak to them as well." The officer said.

"Okay, then let's join them." Dave said as he led the officer into the living room.

In the living room, the kids sat on one couch. Simon was trying his best to comfort Jeanette, Theodore was comforting Eleanor, but Alvin sat alone.

Although he didn't enjoy the circumstances that they were under, he wished that he had Brittany aside him. He would do the same as his brothers and comfort her, but secretly, Alvin was the one needing comforting. He knew that Brittany's kidnapping wasn't his fault, but he couldn't stop thinking about what would've been different if he was there.

"Guys?" Dave called out as he walked into the living room with the officer and Miss Miller. "This is Officer…"

"Riley, Officer William Riley." Officer Riley added. "I've come to ask you all a few questions."

"Have you found Brittany yet?" Alvin asked with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Well... no." Officer Riley sighed. "But we're looking as best as we can." He said, trying to reassure everyone.

It wasn't working.

"Well," Officer Riley began, trying to change the subject a little bit. "Let's start on the questions I need to ask you. If you would all take a seat…"

Everybody reluctantly took a seat on a couch across from the officer.

"Alright," Officer Riley began as he took a pad off of his belt and took out a pen from his pocket. "First, I need to know when the abduction took place."

"'_Abduction'_?" Alvin questioned as he raised an eye-brow at the officer's question.

"It pretty much means 'kidnap', Alvin…" Simon retorted.

"Oh…" Alvin mumbled.

"We believe it happened around three thirty, yesterday." Miss Miller answered.

"Alright," Officer Riley said as he wrote into the pad. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Dave asked quietly.

"Well, do you have any idea how the people responsible managed to capture her?" Officer Riley explained.

"Well," Eleanor began hesitantly, causing everyone in the room to turn their attention towards her. "Brittany mentioned something about a black van that was following her the day before she went missing..."

"Why didn't you call us sooner?" Officer Riley asked as he cocked an eye brow at Eleanor's statement.

"She made us promise not to tell anyone…" Jeanette quietly responded.

"You should have told someone." Miss Miller scolded. "Now you realize how serious this is."

"Sorry…" Both Jeanette and Eleanor mumbled as they dropped their heads in shame.

"Now," Officer Riley began, trying to change the subject. "I don't suppose you have any idea who these people are, do you?"

"No." Miss Miller sighed as she rubbed her eyes with a tissue to wipe some of the new tears that were forming in her eyes.

"But you _have_ made contact, correct?" Officer Riley asked Miss Miller.

"Yes, he called us last night. That's when we were positive that she had been kidnapped." Miss Miller answered.

"What did the person say?" Officer Riley questioned.

"He told us that he _did_ have Brittany and that he'd explain what they want the next time he called." Miss Miller replied.

"And he didn't call back yet?" The officer asked.

"No, not yet." Miss Miller answered.

"Alright." Officer Riley said as he wrote the last few words into his pad. "Now I just need to know some things about the girl." Officer Riley said as he turned to a blank page. "What's her name again?"

"Brittany Miller." Miss Miller answered.

"Okay," Officer Riley mumbled as he wrote the name in his pad. "How tall is she?"

"She's about three-eleven." Miss Miller answered to the best of her knowledge.

Miss Miller hadn't actually measured her girls in a while, but she took her last known measurement and added a few inches to it.

"Alright, and what color hair does she have?" Officer Riley asked.

"She has brown hair." Miss Miller answered.

But just as Officer Riley was about to write it down, Alvin cleared his voice, obviously to get everyone's attention.

"You're wrong…" Alvin mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Miss Miller asked, slightly offended that Alvin would accuse her of answering something about her daughter _wrong_.

"I said, 'you're wrong'." Alvin said, snapping at Miss Miller. "Brittany doesn't have _brown_ hair, she has _auburn_ hair."

Miss Miller was speechless. Not only was she surprised about Alvin's sudden outburst, but he was _right_. If Brittany had actually caught Miss Miller saying that she had _brown_ hair, Miss Miller would never hear the end of it. One of Brittany's greatest boasts was her hair.

"Is that right?" Officer Riley asked, eager to move on with his questions.

"Yes." Miss Miller sighed.

"Okay," Officer Riley mumbled, writing the information into his pad. "What color eyes does she have?"

"Blue." Miss Miller answered.

"_Ice-Blue_." Alvin retorted.

"And what was the last thing she was wearing?" Officer Riley questioned.

"Sh-" Miss Miller began.

"She was wearing her usual outfit," Alvin replied, cutting Miss Miller off. "It's a pink dress, pink shoes, white tights, yellow leg-warmers, and a yellow scarf."

"Okay…" Officer Riley said as he wrote all of it down. "That's all I need from you all for now." He said as he stood up from the couch and made his way over to the front door.

"And you're sure there isn't anything else we can do to help?" Dave asked as he and everyone else followed the officer to the door.

"I'm sorry, but no." Officer Riley sighed. "Just stay safe and hope for the best." He said as he opened the door. "Oh, I have a card for you." He said as he handed Dave the small card.

"Who is 'James Bryan'?" Dave questioned as he read the card.

"He's another officer down at the station," Officer Riley explained. "He's a specialist in kidnappings. I'd suggest giving him a call." He said as he stepped out of the door. "Have a good day."

"Bye." They all called out as Dave closed the door.

They all stood there for a while, each reading the card that the officer had given them.

"Alright," Dave began as he put the card into his pocket and turned towards Alvin. "Alvin, I want you to apologize to Miss Miller."

"For what?" Alvin asked.

"For acting rudely towards her while Officer Riley was here." Dave said as he crossed his arms.

"Do you mean to tell me that I have to apologize for _correcting_ her?" Alvin asked as he opened his eyes in shock.

"Alvin…" Dave began, sternly telling Alvin to apologize.

"Fine," Alvin sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Miller."

"It's quite all right, Alvin." Miss Miller said as she smiled at Alvin. "And don't worry; I'm sure we'll find Brittany soon." Miss Miller said, trying to make him feel better.

"How can you be so sure?" Alvin asked as he looked up at Miss Miller.

"Because if she's anything like you Alvin," Dave began putting his hand on Alvin's shoulder. "She'll never give up." He said as he brought Alvin into a hug.

"Ow…" Alvin groaned as he struggled to break away from Dave's grasp. "T-Thanks, Dave…" Alvin mumbled as he rubbed his chest.

'_They still don't know…'_ Alvin thought as he looked down at his chest. The area where the bullet had hit became much more than a simple mark, now it was a painful bruise as well.

"Alvin, what's wrong?" Dave asked as he watched Alvin walk away uncomfortably.

"Nothing's wrong, Dave…" Alvin muttered as he lay down on the couch and continued to rub his sore chest.

"Alvin," Dave began as he walked towards the couch Alvin was laying on. "Tell me what's going on."

"I'm just a little sore from sleeping on the ground last night…" Alvin lied as he chuckled nervously.

Dave believed him, but Dr. Thomas' words suddenly entered his mind.

'**If Alvin tries to push himself too far, he could easily tear through the new muscle tissue that was formed during his recovery.'**

Dave's mouth opened at the thought as he looked towards Alvin again. _'He's rubbing the same spot that the bullet entered him…'_ Dave thought in horror.

"Alvin…" Dave began as he slowly approached Alvin.

"Yeah?" Alvin asked nervously, noticing Dave's expression.

"Lift up your sweater…" Dave said as he grabbed the end of Alvin's sweater and struggled to lift it up.

"No!" Alvin shouted as he struggled against Dave's grip.

But Dave was too strong. In a few seconds, Dave had successfully gotten Alvin's shirt above his head. A few gasps were heard from the onlookers as they stared at Alvin's bare chest.

While Alvin's wound didn't look too bad in his own eyes, Dave, Miss Miller, and the rest of the kids could definitely see that something was wrong.

The wound was surrounded by purplish-black skin while the inside was a sickening black color.

"Alvin…" Dave began. "How long has it been like this?" Dave asked, obviously hinting at Alvin's wound.

"Ever since last night," Alvin answered as he sat up and pulled his shirt down. "But it's nothing to worry about… it's no big deal."

"It's a _huge_ deal, Alvin!" Dave shouted. "Let's go." Dave said as he grabbed Alvin by the hand and led him to the door.

"Where are we going?" Alvin asked as Dave continued to drag him.

"We're going to the hospital," Dave answered as he grabbed his coat of the hook. "We need to get that wound checked out."

"No, no, no!" Alvin screamed as he ripped his hand out of Dave's grasp and ran into the bathroom, locking the door in the process.

"Alvin! Come out!" Dave said as he banged on the door.

"No!" Alvin screamed in response.

"What are we going to do now?" Simon sighed. "Alvin isn't going to go anywhere if he doesn't want to."

"This isn't about Alvin _wanting_ to go," Dave replied. "He _has_ to go."

"Please come out, dear!" Miss Miller shouted.

"Why should I?" Alvin responded.

"Because… well…" Dave stammered, but he suddenly thought of something. "Do it for Brittany!"

There was a long pause, but the bathroom door's lock suddenly clicked before the door cracked open.

"What?" Alvin growled, starring Dave down.

"I said, 'do it for Brittany'." Dave replied.

"What do you mean?" Alvin asked, still not coming out of the door.

"I'm sure she'd want you to go." Dave answered. "Besides, you need to be in good health if you're going to help look for her."

"Fine…" Alvin sighed in defeat.

"Thank you," Dave said as he patted Alvin on the head. "Now, come on, let's go."

Alvin nodded his head unenthusiastically and proceeded with Dave and walked out the front door.

As they reached the car parked in the driveway, Dave opened up the side door so that Alvin could climb in.

"Are you guys coming too?" Dave asked as he noticed Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, Eleanor, and Miss Miller walking to the car as well.

"I'm afraid that _I_ can't go," Miss Miller began. "But would you take Jeanette and Eleanor with you until I come back?"

"It's not problem, Miss Miller." Dave said as he smiled at her. "But where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I need to run a few errands, and then I'm going to put up fliers around town." Miss Miller answered as she watched Jeanette and Eleanor head towards Dave's car with Simon and Theodore.

"Fliers about Brittany?" Dave asked as he closed the car door after the kids were fully in.

"Yes." Miss Miller replied.

"I would usually go and help you, but-" Dave began.

"Don't worry, David." Miss Miller said, briefly cutting Dave off.

"Alright," Dave sighed. "Just be careful."

"I will, and you make sure to be careful as well." Miss Miller replied.

"I know." Dave said as he climbed into the driver's seat of the car and started the engine.

"Wait!" Miss Miller shouted as she ran over to the car and knocked on the window.

"Yes?" Dave asked as he rolled down the window.

"Be sure to keep me posted on Alvin's condition." Miss Miller said.

"Of course." Dave said with a smile. "Bye."

"Bye." Miss Miller said as she stepped back from the car and waved towards them.

It was a ten minute ride to the hospital, and Alvin was deep in thought.

'_Where are you, Brittany?'_ Alvin asked himself. _'I came back home… what else do you want me to do?'_ Alvin thought before he let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong, Alvin?" Theodore asked innocently.

"Nothing…" Alvin muttered.

"Don't worry, Alvin," Eleanor said reassuringly. "We're going to find Brittany before you know it!"

"I hope so…" Alvin mumbled as the Dave parked the car into a parking spot at the hospital.

"Let's go, guys." Dave said as he opened the passenger door, allowing the kids to exit the car one at a time.

As soon as they entered the hospital, Dave immediately went to the main desk.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The woman behind the desk greeted.

"We're here to see Dr. Thomas, is he available?" Dave asked nervously.

"Yes, he just got out of the E.R." The woman explained. "He should be in his office on the third floor."

"Thank you." Dave said before walking towards the elevator with the kids close behind him.

As soon as they reached the third floor, Dave started walking down one of the long corridors before stopping at a specific door. The door had a plaque with the words 'Dr. Edward Thomas' across the top.

Dave gently knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in!" A voice called from behind the door.

As Dave walked into the office, he could clearly see that Dr. Thomas was highly respected and made good money. The doctor's office was well furnished with plenty of awards, certificates, and trophies covering the walls.

"Oh, Mr. Seville, nice to see you again," Dr. Thomas greeted him with a smile. But then as Alvin entered the room with his brothers and the Chipettes, the Dr's smile faded. "I see you've found Alvin."

"Yeah, he came back home this morning." Dave said as he pushed Alvin forward towards the doctor.

"So Alvin, how do you feel?" Dr. Thomas asked as he got up from his chair and walked over to Alvin.

"I feel fine." Alvin muttered.

"Alvin…" Dave said warningly.

"What?" Alvin asked as he looked up at Dave.

"The wound on his chest has gotten worse." Dave replied to Dr. Thomas.

"Well, with the way Alvin ran out of here last night," Dr. Thomas began. "I expected it to."

"So, what should we do?" Dave asked quietly.

"I need to take Alvin in for a few tests before I can determine the amount of damage." Dr. Thomas said as he grabbed a clipboard off of his desk. "In fact, I suggest we do the tests immediately. You all can wait in the waiting room until the tests are done."

"Whatever…" Alvin mumbled before leaving with the Doctor.

**

* * *

**

In the waiting room - two and a half hours later

Dave sat in one of the hospital chairs as he shook his right leg nervously. Theodore and Eleanor were huddled together in the chair to the left of Dave, sleeping. Simon and Jeanette were sitting together in the chair to the right of Dave. Jeanette had her head resting on Simon's shoulder, obviously showing that she was sound asleep. Simon however, was not. He was fully awake and anxiously awaiting the return of his brother along with Dave.

"Dave," Simon yawned. "When is Alvin going to be back?"

"I don't know, Simon." Dave sighed. "Why don't you try getting some rest? I know we all didn't get much last night."

"I'm fine," Simon yawned again. "I can wait…"

But suddenly, as if on cue, Dr. Thomas came into the waiting room with Alvin close behind him.

"How is he?" Dave asked as he jumped up from the chair, waking both Theodore and Eleanor.

"Well," Dr. Thomas began as he quickly glanced over the stats and writing on his clipboard. "There isn't any permanent damage, just swelling."

"What should we do?" Dave asked, relieved but still concerned.

"I already discussed it with Alvin," Dr. Thomas answered. "He needs to get _plenty_ of rest. If he doesn't, the wound could re-open itself and… well, let's hope that doesn't happen."

"Thank you, Doctor." Dave said as Dr. Thomas walked out of the waiting room.

"Do you understand how serious this is, Alvin?" Dave asked.

"Yes, Dave…" Alvin sighed. "I promise to take it easy and rest…"

"Thank you." Dave said, smiling at Alvin. "You know I only do this be-"

"Because you love me…" Alvin finished for Dave, cutting him off in the process. "I know, I know…"

"Good," Dave chuckled. "Because it's true."

"I love you too…" Alvin said as he smiled up at Dave.

"Thank you," Dave said as he bent down and kissed Alvin on the cheek. "Come on everybody, let's go."

Once in the car, Dave started driving and took out his phone.

"Simon, do you mind calling Miss Miller and putting it on speaker?" Dave asked as he handed Simon the phone.

"Sure." Simon said as he took the phone, dialed the number, set it on speaker phone, and placed it on the center console.

"Hello?" A voice from the other end of the call asked.

"Miss Miller?" Dave asked into the phone.

"David?" Miss Miller asked back.

"Yes, we just got out of the hospital." Dave answered, keeping his eyes on the road.

"How's Alvin?" Miss Miller questioned.

"He's fine, he just needs to rest." Dave answered.

"That's wonderful!" Miss Miller shouted. "I'm on my way home now, do you mind keeping the girls until I come to get them?"

"Not at all, Miss Miller." Dave replied.

"Alright, talk to you soon, David." Miss Miller said.

"Bye." Dave said before hanging up the phone.

As soon as they got back to the Seville household, Dave unlocked the door and opened it so the kids could walk into the house.

"All right," Dave began. "Who's hungry?"

"Me!" Everyone but Alvin responded.

"Alvin?" Dave asked, slightly concerned.

"I'm okay; I'm just not hungry…" Alvin said as he walked into the living room and lay on a couch.

"Are you sure?" Dave asked, walking into the living room and sitting next to Alvin's feet.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." Alvin lied, letting out a fake yawn.

"Okay," Dave said as he gently patted Alvin's leg. "Just tell me if you get hungry."

"Okay…" Alvin sighed as he rolled over so his face was facing the inside of the couch.

About ten minutes passed, and Alvin had actually fallen asleep. But a sudden ring from the landline telephone woke him up from his slumber.

"Hello?" Alvin heard Dave ask into the phone.

"When is he going to be here?" Dave asked again.

"Alright, I'll tell them." Dave sighed. "Bye."

Alvin still hadn't moved, trying to fool everyone into believing that he was still asleep so that he could hopefully get more rest.

"Alvin?" Dave whispered as he gently shook Alvin.

"What?" Alvin mumbled.

"Miss Miller called," Dave began. "Someone's coming here to ask a few more questions about Brittany."

Hearing Brittany's name caused Alvin to sit straight up immediately.

"Another police officer?" Alvin asked as he turned his attention towards Dave.

"No," Dave answered. "He's a specialist in kidnappings."

"Oh, okay." Alvin muttered as he stretched his arms.

"Sleep well?" Dave said as he gave Alvin a small smile.

"Yeah…" Alvin sighed before bringing his eyes up to meet Dave's. "Dave?"

"Yes, Alvin?" Dave replied.

"D-Do… do…" Alvin stammered.

"What is it, Alvin?" Dave asked as he placed his hand on Alvin's shoulder. He noticed that Alvin's eyes were filling up with tears, and this only made him more concerned.

"D-Do you think they're going to find Brittany?" Alvin asked as he felt warm tears run down his cheeks.

"Of course they will, Alvin." Dave whispered. "You just need to keep believing."

"Are you sure?" Alvin asked as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life…" Dave whispered as he brought Alvin into a hug.

After a few moments, Alvin began to stir slowly.

"Um, Dave?" Alvin asked quietly.

"Yes, Alvin?" Dave responded.

"Do you have anything left over from lunch?" Alvin asked innocently.

"Sure," Dave chuckled. "Come on."

As Dave led Alvin into the kitchen, he pulled out a chair for Alvin to sit in and started searching through a cabinet full of food.

"How does a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich sound?" Dave asked as he pulled out two containers.

"Sound's good!" Alvin exclaimed as he sat down in the chair.

Dave spent the next two minutes fixing Alvin his sandwich before giving it to him. As Alvin ate in silence, he felt better. Sure, he was still upset about Brittany, but getting food into his stomach made his emotions rest a little.

As Alvin finished his meal and placed his plate into the sink, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Dave shouted as he ran towards the door. "Hello?" Dave asked as he opened the door to see a man in a suit.

"Hello, Mr. Seville I presume?" The man asked as he shook Dave's hand.

"Yes," Dave asked as he pulled his hand back. "And you are…"

"Oh, my apologizes," The mad chuckled. "My name is James Bryan." Mr. Bryan said casually. "I'm here to ask everyone a few questions about Brittany Miller."

"Please, come in." Dave said as he led Mr. Bryan into the living room and to a couch. "Kids?" Dave shouted.

As all of the kids came in the living room and took their seats, Dave finally spoke.

"This is Mr. Bryan," Dave began. "He's here to ask a few questions about Brittany."

"Hello." Mr. Bryan greeted. "I'm just going to ask a few more questions that wi-" Mr. Bryan began, but the doorbell rang again, cutting him off.

As everyone watched Dave go to the door, they realized it was Miss Miller who had just arrived. Dave led her into the living room as well, and she took a seat in a couch on the opposite side of the room.

"Hello," Miss Miller greeted Mr. Bryan. "You must be the specialist, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct." Mr. Bryan began. "My name is James Bryan, and you must be Miss Miller?"

"Yes," Miss Miller said as she briefly shook hands with the officer. "I'm also the adoptive mother of Brittany."

"Alright, that's good." Mr. Bryan said boldly. "I'm just here to ask a few more questions that will help us in our search for your daughter."

"Thank you." Miss Miller sighed.

"No problem, now, can we begin?" Mr. Bryan asked as he took out a pad off of his belt along with a pen.

"Of course." Dave answered as they all sat down.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

Brittany was sitting in the same position Ben had left her in hours ago. She stayed awake for a few hours thinking about what Ben had told her and wondering if there was any way to escape.

After deciding that she wouldn't be able to escape on her own, she finally fell asleep.

"Wake up!" A voice said from behind the door as the man banged on it, startling Brittany.

Brittany didn't have a chance to react before the door suddenly swung open and Dom approached her. He untied the ropes and led her out of the room and into the small hallway.

"Now," Dom began. "We're about to go through another step of this plan, and it's _very_ important that you cooperate. Understand?" Dom asked, earning a frightened nod from Brittany. "I said, 'do you understand'?" Dom repeated as he released Brittany before quickly grabbing onto her hair.

"Yes, I understand!" Brittany screamed as she started to tear from the immense pain.

"Good, now let's go." Dom said as he released Brittany's hair and led her down a flight of stairs.

As Dom and Brittany entered a large room, Brittany noticed that Mike and Ben were there as well.

Mike had an unsatisfied and downright pissed look upon his face.

Ben on the other hand, was eyeing Brittany, trying to tell her to remain calm. Fortunately, it worked. Brittany immediately calmed down as she gazed into Ben's green eyes.

"Alright, here's what's going to happen." Dom began as he pushed Brittany forward a little. "We're going to call your family and let them know our demands." Dom explained as he took he walked over to a wall and took a phone from a jack on the wall.

"Why do you need me here?" Brittany asked innocently.

"Well," Dom began. "You're here just in case they ask about you." Dom explained as he began to dial numbers into the phone.

**

* * *

**

At the Seville's Household

The officer had gotten to ask the few questions that he needed answered and was preparing to leave the house.

"Thank you all for your time." Mr. Bryan said as he walked towards the front door. "Just call us if you get any more information."

"Alright, good bye." Dave said as he walked Mr. Bryan out of the door.

"Wait!" Miss Miller shouted, making everyone freeze and look at her. She was staring at her cell phone in disbelief.

"What is it Miss Miller?" Mr. Bryan asked, noticing that Miss Miller was staring at her cell phone.

"The caller ID says 'Unknown'," Miss Miller began. But she saw that everyone had a confused look on their faces. "This is what the caller ID said for the kidnappers!" Miss Miller snapped.

Almost instantly, everyone began to open their eyes in surprise as they rushed towards Miss Miller's side.

"Alright, let me just set up my tape recorder." Mr. Bryan said as he pulled out a tape recorder from his belt and set it on the table.

"Simon, go and get our tape recorder too." Alvin whispered.

As Simon returned and set up their own tape recorder, Miss Miller answered the call and put it on speaker phone.

"Hello?" Miss Miller asked into the phone.

"We're ready to give you our demands." The voice from the other line said.

"Whatever it is, we'll do it!" Miss Miller shouted into the phone.

"What we require is five-hundred thousand dollars." The voice said sternly, causing a gasps to release from everyone in the room. "If we get the money, your daughter will be returned safely."

"How can we be sure that Brittany is even alive?" Miss Miller asked.

"I thought we gave you that answer yesterday, but maybe this will make it clearer." The voice said as a small thud was heard from the line.

"Hello? Miss Miller?" A voice asked. It was unquestionably Brittany's voice that was on the line.

"Brittany?" Miss Miller cried. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm fine…" Brittany replied into the phone.

A few sniffles were heard, making it clear that Brittany was crying.

"Where are you?" Miss Miller asked as she cried herself.

"I don't know… but I want to come home!" Brittany cried.

"I know baby, I know." Miss Miller sobbed. "And you're going to, we're going to get the money and you'll be home soon."

"Please hurry!" Brittany said, giving the impression that she was about to be removed from the phone.

'_This is my chance!'_ Alvin thought as he spoke up.

"Brittany?" Alvin asked into the phone.

"Alvin?!" Brittany asked, happy that she could hear his voice.

"It's okay, Brittany, I'm here." Alvin said into the phone, tears falling from his own eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

"For what?" Brittany questioned.

"For not being for you… this is all my fault…" Alvin cried into the phone.

"This isn't your fault, Alvin." Brittany reassured him. But there was a sound of a struggle on the other end of the phone before Brittany spoke again. "I have to go…"

"Wait!" Alvin shouted. "I love you…"

"I love you to-" Brittany began, but her voice was cut off.

"You've heard our terms," The first voice said quietly. "We'll call again tomorrow. Make your choice by then." The voice said sternly before the line was cut, ending the call.

Everyone was silent.

"I can't believe this…" Miss Miller whispered. "I have no idea how we're going to get five-hundred thousand dollars…" Miss Miller cried into her hands.

"It's going to be okay, Miss Miller." Mr. Bryan said, trying to reassure her. "I need to report back to the station, but please call us if you get any more information."

"Thank you." Miss Miller muttered as she watched Dave lead the officer out of the door.

There was a long silence before Dave walked over to Miss Miller and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Dave whispered.

"I need to be strong." Miss Miller sighed. "We need to go." Miss Miller said as she walked towards the front door. "Come on, girls."

Jeanette and Eleanor reluctantly walked out of the house with Miss Miller.

"You three need to go to bed." Dave said as he walked towards Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

"But Dave-" They responded at once, but Dave cut them off.

"No 'buts'," Dave began. "You all need your rest, especially you, Alvin."

"Fine…" Alvin pouted as the three chipmunks got ready for bed.

**

* * *

**

In the boys' room - Three hours later

Simon began to stir in his bed. He looked opened his eyes and saw that Alvin was moving in his own bed. Simon sighed, put on his glasses, and walked over to Alvin's bed.

"Don't you ever get sleep?" Simon asked as he put his hand on Alvin's shoulder, making him jump.

"What are you doing up?" Alvin asked bitterly.

"I could ask you the same thing…" Simon retorted.

Simon looked at Alvin's hand and saw that he was holding a tape recorder.

"What are you doing?" Simon questioned.

"I'm listening to the tape of the phone call." Alvin replied.

"Why?" Simon asked.

"Here…" Alvin said as he rewound the tape and played a part for Simon. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear_ what?_" Simon asked as he listened.

"Don't you hear that banging noise?" Alvin asked as he increased the volume.

Simon listening more carefully and discovered he _could_ hear it. It was an odd banging noise that was constantly going off every few seconds.

"What is that?" Simon asked as he continued to listen to the noise.

"I don't know…" Alvin began. "But whatever it is, it's definitely coming from outside of the building."

"Hmm," Simon mumbled as he thought of what could make that noise.

Simon snapped his fingers and turned towards Alvin as he thought of an answer.

"Construction." Simon said.

"Construction?" Alvin repeated. "Yeah, I can definitely see how that's construction." Alvin said as he continued to listen to the tape. "Maybe now we can find where Brittany is!" Alvin exclaimed.

"Don't get your hopes up, Alvin." Simon sighed. "I'm sure there are plenty of places that are undergoing construction right now."

"So? That doesn't mean we can't try…" Alvin said as he lay in his bed.

"Alvin…" Simon groaned.

"If you won't help me," Alvin began threateningly. "I'll just do it by myself."

"Alright," Simon sighed. "I'll help you."

"Thank you." Alvin said as he smiled. "What should we tell the others?"

"Nothing for now," Simon began. "We don't want to get their hopes up for nothing."

"Good idea…" Alvin whispered as he watched Simon walk back over to his bed and snuggle under the blankets. "Good night, Simon."

"Good night, Alvin." Simon mumbled before falling asleep again.

'_Just hold out a little longer, Brittany…'_ Alvin thought before falling asleep himself.

**

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**

With Brittany

Brittany was back in the small room which she was accustomed to. Ben had talked Dom into putting a mattress into the room so that Brittany didn't have to sleep in the chair. And Brittany was enjoying it. It was much more comfortable than sleeping while sitting up and strapped to a chair.

But as much as she wanted to, she could stop worrying about everything.

'_Please guys… hurry…'_ Brittany thought as she imagined her family around her, complete with Dave and the Chipmunks.

**

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**

Wow... that was really long...

**Hope you guys liked it!**

**Things REALLY start getting interesting with the next chapter!**

**READ AND REVIEW! ^^**


	11. The Plan

**Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**I told you that the action is finally starting to come up!**

**ENJOY!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

**

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**

Chapter 11: The Plan

_**The next morning**_

A soft sigh was heard as Simon began to stir in his bed. Knowing that he'd never be able to get to sleep again, he sat up in his bed and stretched, letting out a moan in the process.

Simon looked to his left and saw that Theodore wasn't in his bed, just as he expected. But as he looked at Alvin's bed, he noticed Alvin was gone as well. Filled with confusion and curiosity, Simon quickly got out of his bed and headed downstairs.

Once in the kitchen, Simon found that Alvin and Theodore were sitting at the table as Dave prepared breakfast.

"Good morning, Simon." Dave greeted, watching Simon slowly trot into the kitchen.

"Good morning…" Simon mumbled as he sat at the table along with his brothers.

"I already told Alvin and Theodore that I'm not going to force you guys to go to school today." Dave said as he carried the boys' plates of food.

Dave looked and saw that Theodore was eating like his usual self, but Alvin and Simon were barely touching their food.

"Is something wrong, guys?" Dave asked as he continued to watch them play with their food.

"No," Alvin sighed. "I'm just not really hungry…"

"Me either…" Simon agreed. "Is it okay if we skip breakfast?"

"Um, sure," Dave said as he watched them walk towards the stairs. "If you get hungry later just tell me, okay?"

"Okay…" They both muttered as they walked up the stairs and into their room.

There was a moment of silence before Simon finally spoke up.

"Now that I've covered for you with Dave," Simon began. "Are you going to tell me what's _really_ bothering you?"

"You know what's bothering me…" Alvin retorted as he plopped down onto his bed.

"Brittany?" Simon asked.

"How'd you guess?" Alvin asked sarcastically.

"Alvin, I want to ask you a serious question." Simon sighed. "How much do you actually care about Brittany?"

"I love her, Simon." Alvin answered as he closed his eyes.

"Alvin," Simon sighed again. "Don't you think we're a little too young to 'love'?"

"What about Theodore and Eleanor, you don't think it's more than just a crush between them two?" Alvin asked, leaving Simon slightly speechless. "Or, what about you and Jeanette?"

"What do you mean?" Simon fired back, embarrassed and clearly blushing.

"You know exactly what I mean," Alvin fired back with a grin on his face. "You _love_ Jeanette!"

"Wh- I do not!" Simon yelled defensively, blushing ever harder.

"Sure you don't…" Alvin smirked. "And you and Theodore always bugged _me_ about not admitting my feelings for Brittany…"

"This is different…" Simon muttered. "We bugged you because you _do_ have feelings for Brittany."

"Really?" Alvin questioned. "What about all of the times I've caught you staring at Jeanette?"

"Purely coincidental." Simon answered.

"Is that so?" Alvin asked, walking towards the door. "Then I'm going to go to tell Jeanette that _you_ don't like her."

"NO!" Simon yelled as he ran up to Alvin and grabbed him.

"Why not?" Alvin asked, shaking Simon off. "I thought that you don't like her?"

"I… I… I…" Simon stammered as his face became red again.

"Simon, just admit it." Alvin sighed as he put his hand on Simon's shoulder.

"I… _do_ like her…" Simon sighed.

"'Like'?" Alvin smirked, earning a glare from Simon.

"Fine…" Simon began, taking a deep breath. "I l-love her…"

"Thank you," Alvin said as he patted Simon's shoulder. "Now, I have a question for _you_…"

"Yes?" Simon asked curiously.

"What would you do if Jeanette was in Brittany's situation?" Alvin asked in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

Simon was speechless. He couldn't bring himself to imagine what he would do if Jeanette was kidnapped.

"Exactly, now you know why I _need_ to find her…" Alvin said as he walked towards the door. "I'm not going to let anything happen to her, so I'll find her no matter what… even if that means that I'm on my own."

"No…" Simon mumbled.

"Simon, you can't stop me…" Alvin said, continuing to walk forward.

"I know I can't stop you, but I wasn't planning to," Simon began. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

"Thanks, Simon." Alvin said as he smiled at his younger brother.

"No problem." Simon said as he smiled back. "Come on; let's see if we can find any information at the library."

"Information for what?" Alvin questioned.

"The library has to have some sort of record about construction, and maybe we can find Brittany like that." Simon explained as he led them both down the stairs.

"Good idea," Alvin smirked. "But what about Dave?"

"You mean to tell me that you don't have _one_ excuse?" Simon asked, clearly shocked.

"Don't worry, I'll think of one!" Alvin exclaimed as he stopped to think. "Okay… I've got nothing…"

"Good thing I already thought of one," Simon sighed. "And it's not even a complete lie." Simon stated, slightly proud.

As the two boys headed towards the front door, Dave suddenly appeared behind them.

"Where are you two going?" Dave asked, making both of them jump in surprise.

"Uh, we're just going to library, Dave." Simon answered as he turned around.

"Simon, you know that Alvin's supposed to be resting…" Dave said as he looked towards Alvin.

Alvin didn't say anything; he just stood there and let his brother handle Dave.

"I know, Dave," Simon began. "I'm bringing Alvin there so that I can help him catch up with all of his schoolwork."

"Yeah," Alvin agreed. "Plus, we just got a big Spanish project that I'm going to need help on."

"Alright…" Dave muttered, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. "Just be back before dinner, okay?"

"Okay." They both answered as they walked out of the front door.

"Nice job, Simon." Alvin whispers as they walked along the sidewalk. "Dave would've never boughten that from me."

"Maybe that's because it wasn't a lie," Simon began. "We _are_ going to the library."

"Yeah, but we aren't going to study for school." Alvin smirks, but he thought about and got worried. "We _aren't_ going there for studying… right?"

"No Alvin, we're not going there to catch you up in school." Simon sighed. "But it wouldn't hurt…" Simon mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Alvin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing…" Simon muttered as they continue to walk towards the library.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

As Brittany began stirring in her bed, she let out a small moan and stretched. She couldn't lie, sleeping in a bed instead of a chair made her feel much better than she was previously feeling over the past few days.

As Brittany sat up in the bed, she heard the door slowly creak open and someone come into the room before closing the door behind them.

"Good, you're awake." A voice said from behind her.

Brittany turned around to see the hazel eyes of Ben.

"I brought you something to eat," Ben began as he set down the plate of food. "Just in case you're hungry."

"No, I'm okay." Brittany replied.

For some reason, Brittany didn't feel hungry at all, and she didn't know why either.

"Well, at least there's a little good news…" Ben said as he began eating from the plate himself.

"And what's that?" Brittany asked curiously.

"Now that your family knows what we want, you should be out of here in no time." Ben answered as he continued eating.

"I have a question…" Brittany said quietly as she fixed her eyes upon the floor.

"What is it?" Ben asked as he placed the empty plate on the floor.

"What happens if we don't have the money?" Brittany questioned.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, slightly confused.

"What if we don't have the five-hundred thousand dollars you're asking for?" Brittany asked as a few tears dripped down her face.

"Aren't you and your sisters famous?" Ben asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No, well, yes… well… it's complicated." Brittany stammered.

"How is it complicated?" Ben responded.

"We're _known_ by a lot of people, but the Chipmunks are _more_ known than we are. Besides, neither of us have had any shows in a long time." Brittany explained.

"So, you should still be pretty wealthy." Ben stated.

"No, we aren't." Brittany said quietly. "We're barely above middle-class."

"You're kidding…" Ben said, slightly shocked and confused. "Well, I'm sure that your family will get the money somehow." Ben said, trying to reassure her. "From what I can tell, you've got a lot of people that care about you, especially that one kid."

"What kid?" Brittany asked curiously.

"Uh, about your height… dresses in red…" Ben stated, trying to get Brittany to think of his name.

"Alvin?" Brittany answered.

"Yeah, Alvin," Ben sighed. "Anyway, from what we've seen, he's been driving himself crazy ever since you've been gone."

"What do you mean?" Brittany questioned, clearly worried. "He should've gotten out of the hospital fine yesterday."

"Well, Mike was following your family to see your reaction and he was at the hospital," Ben explained. "Apparently, your friend ran away two days ago."

"What?!" Brittany shouted. "Is he okay?"

"How should I know?" Ben asked, taking a few steps from Brittany out of fear. "You talked to him on the phone the other day…"

"Yeah, but Alvin's… complicated…" Brittany said, briefly struggling to find the right words.

"What do you mean 'complicated'?" Ben asked curiously.

"If something is bothering him… he _isn't_ going to tell anyone…" Brittany answered. "Even if he's dying on the floor, he wouldn't go to anyone for help…"

"That doesn't sound brave to me… just plain stupid…" Ben muttered.

"He is _NOT_ stupid!" Brittany fired back.

"Okay, okay…" Ben said defensively. "Anyway, we're going to get supplies from a store so we're going to leave you here."

"What supplies?" Brittany mumbled.

"Basic things, food, water… basic needs." Ben explained, but suddenly raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? Did you want something?"

"Um, if it's not too much trouble… could I have a candy bar?" Brittany asked, briefly batting her eyebrows at him.

"Any kind is fine?" Ben laughed as he walked towards the door of the room.

"Yeah." Brittany giggled.

"Alright," Ben began, laughing for the last time. "We should be back in a few hours. We _can_ trust you, right? You're not going to try and escape or anything, are you?"

Brittany thought about it for a moment, _'If they're going to release me no problem… I'm just going to play along…'_ Brittany concluded as she decided her answer.

"I'll be fine…" Brittany sighed.

"Alright, see you later." Ben said as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Bye…" Brittany whispered.

After a few moments, Brittany lay back down in her bed and began to think. She tried to fall back asleep, but constant worries of her family and Alvin plagued her mind.

"Oh Alvin, I hope you're okay…" Brittany whispered.

**

* * *

**

With Alvin and Simon

"Alright Alvin, first we're going to search through the databases." Simon instructed as they entered the library.

"And they should have something that can help us find Brittany?" Alvin asked as they headed towards their destination.

"They should… but, Alvin…" Simon began, but he stopped himself.

"What is it, Simon?" Alvin asked stopping them both from moving.

"Alvin, there's no certainty that we'll be able to find Brittany this way." Simon said as he looked away from Alvin.

"But… you said that w-" Alvin began.

"No Alvin, I said we _may_ be able to find her." Simon said, cutting Alvin off. "Besides, we barely have any information to work with…"

For a few moments, both of them were silent, but Alvin slowly began to walk away.

"Well, I'm going to at least try…" Alvin muttered as he walked to the databases.

"I know," Simon began as he rejoined Alvin. "And I'm going to do everything I can to help."

"Thanks." Alvin said quietly. "What do we look through first?"

"Well, first we need a record of the construction throughout this area…" Simon said as he looked through books. "Aha!" Simon said as he took out a book. "Begin looking through that…" Simon ordered as he began looking through the books again.

"Wait, what?" Alvin asked as he placed the book on the table. "Si, I don't even know _what_ I'm supposed to be looked for!"

"Just look for any entries for major construction around this area." Simon sighed. "It's a brand new book, it should have the newest entries."

"How is that going to help us?" Alvin questioned.

"Yesterday, we got the phone call at around eight thirty at night, and there was still construction going on." Simon explained.

"So?" Alvin asked.

"Alvin," Simon sighed again. "Construction can only be worked on until a certain point, if it was going on that late, it must be a major project."

"Oh…" Alvin mumbled as he flipped open the book.

"What are you going to be doing?" Alvin asked as he pulled out a chair.

"I'm going to be using the computer to search for anything." Simon answered as he started typing on the computer's keyboard.

"Whatever…" Alvin mumbled as he began reading through the book.

_**

* * *

**_

Two hours later

"Alvin?" Simon asked as he looked over to Alvin, only to find him silently sleeping with his head on the table. "Alvin!"

"Hmm? What?" Alvin asked, jerking up from his slumber.

"You fell asleep…" Simon muttered as he crossed his arms.

"Well excuse me for not getting any sleep last night…" Alvin retorted.

"Do you want to find Brittany or not?" Simon asked.

"Of course…" Alvin sighed as he began looking through the book again.

"Alright, then follow me and bring the book." Simon ordered as he began walking back over to the computer.

"Did you find something?" Alvin asked as he looked at the computer with Simon.

"Actually, yes…" Simon said, sounding slightly surprised. "I found five different entries that could be a match."

"Really?" Alvin asked. "What are they?"

"Well, the first is the new hotel that they're building a few miles away." Simon answered as he pulled up information and a picture of the construction. "The hours are from eight in the morning to ten at night."

Alvin studied the picture for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, that's not it." Alvin declared.

"And how do you know?" Simon asked, obviously skeptical of Alvin's decision.

"Because, there's no building besides it…" Alvin explained as he pointed at the picture.

"So?" Simon asked as he looked at the picture with Alvin.

"When they called, it sounded like they were calling from inside a building besides the construction." Alvin answered. "Besides, I don't think that they'd be able to hold Brittany against her will with construction workers moving in and out."

"Yeah, you've got a point…" Simon said as he crossed out the name of the hotel on a piece of paper and pulled up the next entry. "How about this one? It's a supermarket that they've been building for a few years."

Alvin studied the picture for a moment just like last time. This one had a building next to the construction site.

"Where is it?" Alvin asked as he watched Simon pull up the information.

"About thirty-eight miles away…" Simon answered.

"Too far away…" Alvin decided as he took the pencil and crossed out the supermarket. "Next?"

Simon sighed and pulled up the next entry on the computer.

"This is an old toy factory that caught on fire a few years ago. Right now, they're trying to fix it up." Simon said as he looked at Alvin, waiting for his verdict on the entry.

Alvin looked at all of the details carefully. _'The hours work… there's a building near the construction site… it's not too far away…'_ Alvin thought as he considered the location.

"It's a possibility…" Alvin said as he circled the entry on the piece of paper. "What's next?"

"This is an old apartment building that was abandoned a few years ago. They're adding onto the structure and doing all kinds of other additions." Simon said as he pulled up the fourth entry. "What do you think?"

"No, the hours aren't right." Alvin sighed.

"What do you mean?" Simon questioned as he looked back at the information. "The hours are from nine in the morning to nine at night."

"Yeah, but only on the weekends," Alvin began. "On the weekdays, it only goes until six at night."

"Alright, alright…" Simon mumbled as he crossed out the name on the list. "The last entry is the other hotel they're building on the other side of town." Simon said as he pulled up the last entry.

Alvin read the information and found that it was another possibility.

"Yeah, it could be that place." Alvin decided as he circled the name on the paper. "So, that leaves us two options…" Alvin muttered as he held the piece of paper and read the two locations repeatedly. "Can you get any more information on these places?"

"Alvin," Simon sighed. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get _this_ information? I literally had to search through hundreds of databases…" Simon said, making Alvin glare at him.

"Simon, you said that you'd help me!" Alvin shouted.

"Alvin, I _am_ helping you!" Simon shouted back. "But there's only so much I can do."

"Can we at least try?" Alvin asked.

"What information do you want anyway?" Simon sighed.

"Do you think that we can get really recent pictures, videos, or anything like that?" Alvin questioned.

"I seriously doubt it, Alvin." Simon answered. "Anything like that would be classified to the owners of the construction company or owners of the complexes. You'd have to hack into the records of the company to get records like that."

"But you _could_ do it, right?" Alvin smirked.

"Yes, but I _won't._" Simon retorted.

"Come on, Si…" Alvin pleaded.

"No." Simon said sternly.

"Why not?" Alvin asked.

"Because that's completely illegal." Simon answered bitterly.

"And?" Alvin questioned.

"I'm not going to do anything illegal, Alvin." Simon said as he started to log out of the library's computer.

"All we need to do is find out what place has a black van near one of the buildings." Alvin said, stopping Simon's movements. "Please, Si? I really need your help…"

"Fine…" Simon sighed as he began typing on the keyboard.

A few minutes past and Alvin was sitting at one of the tables in the library. He wasn't moving, instead, he was still staring at the piece of paper with the two remaining entries written on it.

"Alright Alvin, I'm done." Simon declared.

"So, what did you get?" Alvin asked as he walked back over to Simon.

"These photos were taken last night, all of them." Simon answered as he handed Alvin two piles of pictures. "This pile is the toy factory, and this pile is the hotel."

Alvin began looking at the two piles separately and immediately noticed a dark-colored van near the toy factory's construction site. Alvin turned his full attention towards the pile of pictures from the toy factory and noticed the same van in almost every picture.

Alvin soon began looking through the pile of hotel pictures, but much to his dismay, a vehicle wasn't to be found in any of the pictures.

"Well?" Simon asked, noticing that Alvin was finished looking through the photos.

"We have a definite match." Alvin replied as he crossed out the hotel on the piece of paper.

"Well, what do we do now?" Simon asked as he noticed Alvin staring at the last entry on the piece of paper.

"What do you think?" Alvin muttered without the slightest movement of his body.

"Please don't tell me that you're thinking what I think you're thinking…" Simon groaned.

"If you can come up with a better plan, please, let me here it." Alvin said as he looked up from the piece of paper and stared into Simon's eyes.

"Well, my plan wouldn't involve barging into a building filled with numerous dangerous people." Simon fired back.

"Yeah, I wish mine didn't either, but unfortunately, this is the only way!" Alvin shouted.

"Why do _you_ have to do anything?" Simon shouted. "We know where they are, why can't we just call the police?"

"Simon, if we call the police and they show up without those guys getting their money, what do you think they would do?" Alvin asked as he felt tears build in his eyes.

Simon didn't answer Alvin; instead, he turned his gaze towards the floor and remained silent.

"Exactly…" Alvin said as he crossed his arms.

"Fine, so we won't call the police," Simon began. "Then why don't we just let them have the money?"

"Simon, we both know that even between Miss Miller _and_ Dave, we can't come up with the five-hundred thousand dollars by the time they're going to ask for it." Alvin answered, again, leaving Simon speechless. "Besides, what happens if we _do_ get the money, and they decide _not_ to let Brittany go? Huh? What happens then?"

"You don't know what they would do." Simon replied.

"Yeah, I don't _know_ what they would do, but I _do_ know that I'm not going to take any chances. I love Brittany too much to gamble with her life…" Alvin said, not only leaving Simon speechless, but also leaving his jaw dropped in astonishment. "Now, are you going to help me or not?"

"I… I'm in…" Simon answered. "But we need to tell the others."

"No, we can't tell Dave and Miss Miller, they'd never let us go!" Alvin shouted.

"No, not Dave and Miss Miller, I'm talking about Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor." Simon said as he took the paper with the entry on it and wrote the complete address on it as well.

"Why?" Alvin questioned.

"Because, Theodore's our brother and we need to tell him." Simon retorted. "And Jeanette and Eleanor are Brittany's sisters; they _definitely_ have the right to know…"

"Alright, but we can't let them tell anyone else." Alvin said as he took the piece of paper from Simon and stuffed it into his pocket. "When should we tell them?"

"The sooner the better." Simon answered as he walked over to one of the payphones in the library.

"We're going to tell them over the phone?" Alvin asked as Simon picked up one of the phones off of the hook.

"Of course not," Simon began. "We're going to call them and tell them to meet us somewhere."

"Where?" Alvin questioned.

"I don't know, think of somewhere…" Simon groaned as he put the phone back down.

"How about our house? We could just tell them in our room." Alvin responded.

"Hmm, I think someplace a little more private would be better." Simon said as he put his hand up to his chin. "How about the park?"

"That's what you call 'private'?" Alvin asked.

"No, but it's a place where we can count on Miss Miller or Dave _not_ walking in on our conversation." Simon replied as he picked up the phone again.

Simon pulled a few coins out of his pocket and inserted them into the phone and dialed a number. As Simon waited for someone to pick up, he quickly glanced at the clock in the library. _'Four-thirty already?'_ Simon thought as he sighed.

"Hello?" A voice asked from the other end of the phone, briefly surprising Simon.

"Dave?" Simon questioned.

"Simon? Are you and Alvin done at the library?" Dave asked.

"Almost Dave, I just wanted to call to see if Theodore was there." Simon replied.

"Uh, no, he's still at the Millers hanging out with Eleanor, why?" Dave asked.

"Uh, because… because… we might need his help. I'll try calling Miss Miller, thanks Dave!" Simon said as he began to hang up the phone.

"Wait, Simon!" Dave shouted through the phone.

"Yes, Dave?" Simon asked.

"Dinner's at five-thirty so make sure you and Alvin are home soon, okay?" Dave said.

"Alright, bye Dave." Simon said as he hung up the phone.

"Well?" Alvin asked as Simon picked up the phone once again.

"Theodore's still with Eleanor…" Simon said as he placed more coins into the phone jack and dialed a different number.

"Hello, Miller's residence, Miss Miller speaking." Miss Miller greeted. "How may I help you?"

"Hi Miss Miller, it's Simon…" Simon replied in a hurry.

"Hello Simon, what can I do for you?" Miss Miller asked politely.

"Theodore's there, right?" Simon asked.

"Oh yes he is, would you like to speak to him?" Miss Miller questioned.

"Yes, please." Simon replied before hearing the faint sound of Miss Miller's voice screaming 'Theodore'.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Theodore?" Simon questioned.

"Oh, hi Simon." Theodore responded.

"Listen Theodore, I need you, Jeanette, and Eleanor to meet Alvin and I at the park." Simon replied quickly.

"Why? What's going on?" Theodore asked, slightly worried.

"It's very important; we'll explain it when you guys get here." Simon said.

"Alright, we'll be there in a few minutes." Theodore said as he hung up the phone.

"Okay Alvin, they're on their way to the park." Simon said as he also hung up the phone. "We need to hurry…" Simon said as he began running out of the library with Alvin close behind him.

'_Don't worry, Brittany… just a little longer…'_ Alvin thought as he followed Simon out of the library and towards the park.

**

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**

With Brittany

Brittany was now fully awake and sitting in the silent room by herself, clearly bored. _'I wish I was out of here… or at least had something to do…'_ Brittany thought.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open and Ben stepped into the room with a bag in his hands.

"Finally…" Brittany groaned.

"Are you that hungry?" Ben asked as he reached into the bag and pulled out a candy bar. "Here…" Ben said before tossing it to Brittany.

"Hungry? No." Brittany said as she caught the candy bar. "Bored out of my mind? Yes."

"Yeah well…" Ben replied awkwardly.

"Thanks for this." Brittany said as she opened the rapper from the candy and took a bite out of it.

"No problem, just don't tell Dom or Mike that I got that for you…" Ben laughed.

"They don't like me very much, do they?" Brittany asked as she dropped the candy bar from her mouth and looked up at Ben.

"It's not that they don't like you… it's just… weird…" Ben stammered.

"'Weird'?" Brittany repeated.

"Yeah," Ben sighed. "Dom doesn't want this whole 'thing' to get ugly, meaning, he doesn't want anyone to get hurt… including you."

"And… Mike…" Brittany began, obviously signaling Ben to finish.

"Mike… uh, I think his problem is that he's just crazy and that he thinks that he can get whatever he wants." Ben explained.

"He wants to… to…" Brittany said, struggling to get the next word out as her eyes overflowed with tears before breaking down.

"Yeah, he does… but, don't worry…" Ben said quietly. "I told you, I'm not going to let him touch you."

"But what if you're not here when he tries next time?" Brittany cried.

"I'll always be here for you…" Ben assured her.

If Brittany didn't know any better, she would've thought that Ben was Alvin for that split second.

"Do you promise?" Brittany asked as she looked up at him and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, I promise." Ben answered as he walked towards the door. "I'll be back a little later…" Ben said as he opened the door to the room.

"Thanks…" Brittany whispered. _'I just hope you can keep that promise…'_ Brittany thought as she watched him leave and shut the door behind him.

**

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With Alvin and Simon

Both Alvin and Simon were still running full speed towards the park, but Alvin was now in front of Simon.

"Come on, Si, we're almost there!" Alvin shouted as he continued running.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Alvin." Simon shouted back as he quickened his pace.

Soon, they both reached the iron gates of the park and quickly ran through them. They both immediately spotted their younger brother as well as their two friends and ran to them.

"Whoa, whoa, guys!" Eleanor said as she noticed Alvin and Simon running to them in full speed.

"What did you want to tell us?" Theodore asked his two brothers, clearly still worried from the previous phone call.

Alvin and Simon didn't speak, they both stood there, hunched over and panting.

"Okay guys, breathe…" Eleanor said as she gently patted them on their backs.

"Alright, I'm good…" Alvin sighed as he stood straight up.

"Yeah, me too…" Simon said as he did the same as Alvin.

"Now that you both are 'good'," Eleanor began. "What's so important that you had to drag us all the way to the park to tell us?"

"We fou-" Simon began, but Alvin cut him off by placing his hand over Simon's mouth.

"First, you have to promise that you're not going to tell _anyone_." Alvin said, earning hesitant nods from the others. "That includes Dave, Miss Miller, any friends, any reali-"

"We get it, Alvin!" They all shouted at once, cutting him off.

"Okay… sheesh…" Alvin sighed. "Simon, you can tell them…"

"We found out where those guys are keeping Brittany!" Simon blurted out.

"What?!" They all yelled at once. "Where?!"

"They're keeping her at an old toy factory about fifteen miles away." Simon answered.

"Are you sure?" Eleanor asked.

"Yeah, we're sure…" Alvin sighed.

"We need to tell Miss Miller and the police!" Jeanette said as her and Eleanor began to run out of the park.

"NO!" Alvin screamed as he ran in front of them to keep them from going anywhere.

"Move, Alvin!" Eleanor screamed as he and Jeanette struggled to get past him.

"You can't tell anyone!" Alvin screamed back.

"Why not?" Eleanor asked as her and Jeanette stood still.

"Because, if the police go and raid the place, who knows what those guys will do to Brittany!" Alvin explained, still standing in their way.

"Alvin, that's ridiculous…" Jeanette sighed as she moved to get past Alvin again, but she felt a hand grab her shoulder. When she looked up, she met the comforting eyes of Simon.

"No," Simon began quietly. "Alvin's right… we can't go to the police with this…"

"And we can't give those guys the money that they're asking for." Alvin said as he loosened his posture.

"Why? Once they get what they're asking for, they'll let Brittany go." Eleanor said.

"But there's always a chance that they won't…" Alvin sighed.

"How do you know what they'll do?" Jeanette asked.

"I don't," Alvin began, tears gathering in his eyes again. "But I'm not willing to take any chances with Brittany's life…" Alvin said as he looked towards the ground and a let a few tears drip on to the ground before looking back up at the group. "Are you?"

"No…" Eleanor and Jeanette whispered as they looked at each other than the ground.

"Then what are you planning on doing?" Theodore asked, breaking the silence that was forming.

"Alvin and I are going to go bring Brittany back…" Simon said, causing a gasp to be released from everyone but Alvin.

"Are you crazy?" Jeanette asked as she looked up at Simon. "Surely you realize how dangerous this whole thing is, how can you even _think_ about doing something like this?"

"I want to do this because I love Brittany, and I'm not going to let anything hurt her" Alvin said quietly. "And I _am_ going to do this, whether I'm alone or not…"

"And I promised Alvin that I'm going with him, and I intend to keep that promise…" Simon said as he walked over to Alvin and stood side-by-side with him.

"T-Then I'm going to!" Theodore said as he walked over to his brothers.

"Theodore… are you sure?" Simon asked, noticing the frightful look on his face. "Aren't you scared?"

"Of course I am…" Theodore said as he looked towards the ground. "B-But… I want to help you guys…"

"You sure, Theo? We aren't going to think any less of you if you don't come…" Alvin said as he looked at his younger brother.

"Brittany's like a sister to me… so… I'm going to do everything I can to help her!" Theodore said sternly.

"Thanks, Theo…" Alvin said as he hugged Theodore and gently ruffled his little brother's hair, briefly making him giggle.

Eleanor and Jeanette looked at each other before sighing.

"We're in, too…" Eleanor said as her and Jeanette walked over to their friends.

"Are you guys sure?" Simon asked.

"Brittany's our sister so we just want her back, and we're definitely willing to bring her back." Jeanette said as she grabbed Simon's hand in her own and smiled at him.

"Thanks guys…" Alvin said as he wiped the fresh tears that were forming in his eyes.

"So, when do we leave?" Eleanor asked quietly.

"Tonight… we all have to sneak out of our houses, and we're going meet… here." Alvin answered.

"How do we sneak out?" Jeanette asked.

"I don't know… you just need to figure a way without being noticed." Alvin sighed.

"Alright, what time?" Eleanor asked.

"We'll meet here at midnight…" Alvin said as he grabbed his brothers' shoulders. "Right now, we need to get home for dinner." Alvin reminded them as he turned around and began running towards their house.

"Oh yeah, Dave told us five-thirty." Simon said as he and Theodore began running with Alvin.

"Remember, midnight!" Alvin shouted as he and his brothers continued running.

"Bye!" Eleanor and Jeanette shouted before turning around and heading towards their own home.

As Alvin, Simon, and Theodore entered through their front door, they were immediately greeted by the sweet smell of spaghetti sauce and a worried Dave.

"There you boys are," Dave sighed. "For a moment, I thought you were going to be late."

"Don't worry about it, Dave." Alvin smirked.

"Alright, come on guys, dinner's already on the table." Dave said as they all walked into the dining room.

"So Alvin, did you and Simon get a lot of work done at the library?" Dave asked as he handed his boys plates of food.

"Yep." Alvin answered before they all started eating.

As the boys finished eating, they all thanked Dave, put their plates in the sink, and headed up to their room.

"So, what do we do now?" Theodore asked as they all sat in the room quietly.

"Well, it's only seven… so do whatever you would normally do." Simon answered as he began reading his book.

Alvin continued lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. _'What do we do when we get there? Where are you going to be, Brittany? Are you hurt?'_ Alvin wondered as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**

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**

Four hours and forty-five minutes later

"Alvin…" Simon whispered.

"What?" Alvin groaned as he opened his eyes. "What time is it?" Alvin asked as he quickly sat up in the bed.

"It's eleven forty-five." Simon sighed.

"Alright, are you and Theodore ready?" Alvin asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah, are you?" Simon questioned.

"Yeah," Alvin yawned. "I'm not really going to be bringing anything."

"Alright, so how are we going to sneak out?" Theodore asked as he walked over to Alvin.

"We can climb out the window and use the tree to slide down." Alvin replied as he pointed towards the window.

"Alright, let's go…" Simon said as the three climbed out of the window.

**

* * *

**

At the Miller residence

"Alright Jeanette, are you ready?" Eleanor whispered as they both stood in their room.

"Yeah," Jeanette whispered. "How are we going to do this?"

"Well, Miss Miller is a relatively deep sleeper, so we can use that to our advantage." Eleanor said quietly.

"Are you suggesting that we walk right out the front door?" Jeanette asked.

"Why not?" Eleanor replied.

"Whatever, let's just go… we're going to be late." Jeanette said as her and Eleanor tip-toed down the stairs and out of the house.

"We have to hurry or we're not going to make it to the park on time." Eleanor said her and Jeanette began to run to the park as fast as they could.

As they reached the park, they quickly ran to the spot that Alvin indicated and waited for their friends to show up. And just as they anticipated, they saw the three boys running up to them within seconds.

"Alright, you girls are ready, right?" Alvin asked as the two groups finally met up.

"Yeah we are, how about you guys?" Eleanor questioned.

"Yeah, we are." Alvin said quietly.

"So, how are we going to even get to this place?" Jeanette finally asked.

"We don't have much of a choice but to walk…" Simon mumbled as he pulled a map out of his pocket.

"But didn't you say that this place is like ten miles away?" Jeanette groaned.

"Actually… it's about fifteen…" Simon corrected, making her groan even louder.

"Geez Jeanette, you're starting to sound like Brittany." Alvin smirked, causing everyone to shoot him an annoyed glare.

"Alvin, you know that Jeanette gets a little cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep…" Eleanor sighed.

"Yeah, yeah… I was just joking…" Alvin said.

"Well, we have to be serious for now." Eleanor replied.

"I know," Alvin began quietly. "Simon?"

"Alright, let's get started." Simon said as he looked at his map. "First, we need to go down Washington Avenue until we reach Passaic Street."

"Okay, let's go." Alvin said as he took the lead of the group and began to lead them.

'_We're coming to rescue you Brittany, just… just please be alright…'_ Alvin thought as he wiped his tears quickly so that others wouldn't notice and quickened his pace.

**

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**

Well, I hope that chapter was eventful for all of you that I've kept waiting. And this is the start of "Rescue" series of chapters.

**Thanks to all of you that have been patient with me for the past couple weeks, I've been really busy lately.**

**Hope you all liked it and I'll update again soon!**

**REVIEW PLEASE! ^^**


	12. The Rescue: Part 1

Driven by Love - Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes

**For those who haven't noticed, yes, I changed the name. Why? Because I wanted a SERIES name. Yes, this story is only the FIRST part in the (hopefully) excellent series of books I plan on writing.**

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Anyway, here's chapter 12...

**Hope you all like it! ^^**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

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Chapter 12: The Rescue - Part One

As the group continued their walk down Washington Avenue, everyone was quiet. No one was daring enough to speak a word as their minds were filled with thoughts about Brittany and what she could possibly be going through this very moment.

"So…" Theodore began awkwardly. "When do you think we're going to get there?" Theodore asked, not trying to be rude, he was just trying his hardest to lift the silence between the group members.

"I'm not sure, Theodore…" Simon sighed. "By my calculations, it could take anywhere between seven to eight hours."

"What?!" Alvin shouted. "That's completely unreasonable!"

"Yeah well, it's the truth, Alvin," Simon said as he took a quick glance at his map. "Whether you like it or not…"

"Whatever…" Alvin muttered as the group made their way through the town.

The group continued to walk down the dark street as Alvin led them. He looked over to his shoulder, he saw that Simon and Jeanette were holding hands and so were Theodore and Eleanor. He looked to his left and then his hand, _'I wish you were here, Brittany…'_ He thought as tears formed in his eyes. _'You have no idea how much I need your support…'_

**

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**

With Brittany

Brittany sat in the room in silence. She was staring into space, so many things were on her mind but only one thing stood out among the rest, _'You're in danger, Alvin…'_ She thought as she tears rolled down her cheeks.

Brittany knew that she would never be able to explain it, but she always believed that she has some sort of _connection_ with Alvin. For some odd reason, she felt everything that he did. She felt pain when he did. She was happy when he was. She was sad when he was. She felt safe when he did, but now, she felt cold and unprotected.

'_What are you getting yourself into, Alvin?'_ Brittany wondered as she brought her hands up to her eyes and wiped the fresh tears from them. As she struggled to get the last of her tears wiped away, without notice, the door swung open and two men stepped into the room.

Brittany watched the two men walk across the room over to her bed. She clearly identified them as Ben and Dom, but they had a strange expression upon their faces, which worried Brittany deeply.

"Alright," Dom began as he took a quick, but deep breath. "We've got one more phone call to make tomorrow."

"What is it?" Brittany asked quietly.

"We're going to tell your family where to meet our guys so we can get our money." Dom explained.

"And then I'll be released…" Brittany stated, but her face when pale as neither of the men moved. "Right?" She asked.

"If everything goes according to plan," Dom began. "You will be released."

"Then why don't we call them now?" Brittany questioned, clearly anxious to leave.

"Well, it's nearly one in the morning…" Ben said as he looked at his watch.

"And we already _tried_ to call, nobody picked up." Dom finished. "So, we'll make the call tomorrow."

"Alright…" Brittany sighed.

"And, I wanted to apologize…" Dom said, shocking Brittany and even Ben.

"W-What?" Brittany asked in astonishment.

"I never wanted to put you through something like this… I mean, you must be six-" Dom said before Brittany cut him off.

"Seven…" Brittany corrected him.

"Seven, right…" Dom sighed. "Anyway, we just need the money… I hope you understand…"

"I understand," Brittany mumbled. "I'm just glad that I'm going to be let go…"

"I never wanted to hurt you, so of course you're going to be let go…" Dom said before walking over to the door. "Get some sleep." Is all he said before walking through the door and closing it behind him.

Both Brittany and Ben stayed in silence, both trying to understand that Dom had just openly apologized.

"Well," Ben began, breaking the silence. "Now do you believe me about Dom?"

"What about him?" Brittany asked.

"That he never wanted any of this…" Ben answered.

"Yeah, I guess you were right…" Brittany muttered.

Ben watched Brittany for a moment and noticed that not only did she have obviously have a lot on her mind, but it was clearly bothering her unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked as he took a seat next to Brittany's bed.

"I'm fine…" Brittany answered as she rubbed her throbbing head.

"It sure doesn't seem like it." Ben said as he gently placed his hand on Brittany's forehead, making her jump at first, but she eventually found it soothing.

"You have a small fever," Ben said as he pulled away his hand. "Does your heard hurt?"

"A little…" Brittany replied groggily.

"Alright, lie down," Ben said quietly. "We don't have any medicine right now, but I'll get some the next time we're out."

"How do you know how to take care of me?" Brittany asked.

"I've had practice…" Ben sighed in sadness.

"What do you mean?" Brittany questioned.

"I didn't tell you?" Ben asked as he watched Brittany shake her head. "I had a daughter…"

"Really?" Brittany asked, earning a slight nod from Ben. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Samantha…" Ben said as he smiled as happy thoughts came to his mind, but that smile soon faded as those thoughts turned into the ones that he detested.

"Well, what happened to her?" Brittany asked, this time earning a sad embedded sigh from Ben.

"I don't know, her mother took her way from me and ran…" Ben said as Brittany gasped in horror.

"That must've been terrible…" Brittany murmured.

"It was, and still is…" Ben sighed. "I haven't seen either of them in five years. In fact, if you're eight, you should be the same age."

Brittany could see tears dwell up in Ben's eyes as he tried his hardest to stop them. To keep things safe, Brittany decided that it would be best to change the subject as soon as possible.

"I wonder where she is…" Ben said before Brittany could say anything herself. "I wonder what she looks like…" Ben said blankly. "I wonder what she thinks of me…" Ben said, almost completely soundless.

Brittany suddenly felt awkward. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to make Ben feel better. Since she had been brought there, Ben had always been the one who made Brittany feel better. But now, he was the one who needed help… and she had no idea what to do.

In the end, Brittany did the only sensible thing that came to her mind… she stayed quiet.

**

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With Alvin

As the group made their way to the end of Washington Avenue, Simon quickly checked his watch.

"Alright, it's almost one o' clock which means we've been walking for about an hour…" Simon stated, making everyone groan. "Alright, here's where we take our left on Passaic Street." Simon said as he pointed down the street to their left.

"Simon," Jeanette yawned. "Where's the nearest bus stop that runs twenty-four-seven?"

"It's about a block away, why?" Simon questioned.

"Because, Eleanor and I brought money with us…" Jeanette said as yawned once again. "How far will the bus get us?"

"It'll get us a few blocks away from the place where Brittany is," Simon said as he looked at the map. "Why didn't you say that you two had money before?"

"It doesn't matter," Alvin interrupted as he began to lead the group again. "Let's just go…"

The group quickly made their way down the street until they found the bus stop near one of the edges of the sidewalk. They all waited patiently for the bus until in finally arrived about twenty minutes later.

"Alright, come on." Alvin said as he watched the bus' doors open.

Alvin led them to the bus to find an old mad as the driver.

"Where are you kids heading?" The man asked as the six chipmunks entered through the bus' doors.

"We need to get to Elizabeth Street." Simon said as he grabbed the money from Jeanette and Eleanor and handed it to the man.

"You're lucky," The man laughed. "This is just enough to get you and your friends to your destination."

"How long should it take?" Alvin asked impatiently.

"Cool down, kid," The man said as he closed the bus' doors. "Elizabeth Street is on the other side of town, it's going to take at least forty-five minutes." The man answered calmly.

Frustrated, Alvin sat down in one of the seats by himself.

"I hope Brittany's okay…" Eleanor said as she hugged Jeanette.

"I'm sure she's fine, she _is_ just like Alvin after all…" Simon laughed.

"I know, but still, I just wish she had someone there to comfort her…" Eleanor said quietly. "Just like when we were little kids and she was afraid of thunder and lightning…"

Alvin listened to Eleanor's words carefully before remembering everything…

_-Flashback-_

_**Three years ago…**_

"_But Dave…" A young Alvin protested. "Why do those girls have to stay here?"_

"_Because their mother needs to work late tonight and she asked me if I could watch over them," Dave answered. "Besides, why do you sound depressed? I thought you all were friends with them… or at least, that one little girl who dresses in pink…"_

"_Friends? As if!" Alvin scoffed. "I would never be friends with that brat!"_

"_Alvin!" Dave said sternly. "Don't say things like that, you only met them a few years ago, you barely know her."_

"_I know enough," Alvin said as he rolled his eyes. "All she ever does is make fun of me and acts like she knows everything!"_

"_She sounds exactly like you, Alvin…" Dave sighed. "They're staying here for the night, and that's final."_

"_Bu-" Alvin began._

"_No 'buts', Alvin," Dave said calmly. "I don't see your brothers complaining."_

"_Oh please, what do they know?" Alvin sighed._

"_Hey!" The two other chipmunks retorted from the kitchen._

"_Boys," Dave began. "Would you please come in here?"_

_As if on cue, Simon and Theodore gradually opened the kitchen door and walked into the living room to join Alvin and Dave._

"_Okay," Dave began as he watched his other two sons take a seat on the couch next to their brother. "Now, the girls will be here soon and I want you all to be on your best behavior."_

"_Okay, Dave." Simon and Theodore responded as Alvin rolled his eyes._

"_I'm serious, Alvin," Dave warned, gaining Alvin's attention. "I don't want any fighting or any other trouble you usually get yourself into. I want you all to treat them nicely, give them a tour of the house, give help them if they need any, share your thin-"_

"_We get it, Dave…" Simon said, cutting off Dave's rambling. "Don't worry about it, we'll be fine."_

"_Alright…" Dave mumbled as he eyed Alvin suspiciously before hearing the doorbell ring. "That's probably them, let's go." Dave said as he made his way to the front door with his three sons behind him._

_As Dave opened the door, they saw a fairly old women standing on the front step with a nervous expression on her face._

"_Oh, hello Miss Miller." Dave greeted as he fully opened the door._

"_Hello David," Miss Miller greeted back. "I'm so sorry for asking you to babysit on such short notice and I know that we just met a few days ago an-"_

"_Miss Miller, it's alright," Dave laughed. "I offered, remember? Besides, I already have three little boys myself, I'm sure I can handle three little girls."_

"_I hope so…" Miss Miller mumbled._

"_So, where are your girls?" Dave asked._

"_Oh, I'm sorry," Miss Miller said as she stepped to the side to reveal three little chipmunks. "Here they are."_

"_Hello ladies, I'm Dave." Dave said as he held his hand out, waiting for one of them to introduce themselves and shake his hand. But none of them moved._

"_They're a bit shy," Miss Miller said as she bent down to their height and grabbed one of the girls and lightly pulled her closer. "This is Eleanor." Miss Miller said as she let the little green chipmunk go and grabbed another. "This is Jeanette." Miss Miller said as she released the blue chipmunks and grabbed the last, pink chipmunk. "And this is Brittany." Miss Miller said before the pink-clad chipmunk wrestled out of her grip._

"_Nice to meet you girls," Dave chuckled. "Would you like to go inside? I'm sure my boys are around here somewhere."_

_The three girls hesitantly entered the house and looked around before seeing the other three chipmunks run into the living room before they chased after them._

"_Again, thank you so much for taking them for the night." Miss Miller sighed as she grabbed the three bags that the three girls left behind and brought them into the house._

"_Again, it's no trouble, I'm happy to help." Dave said as he helped Miss Miller with the bags._

"_Alright, I'll be here tomorrow morning to pick them up, okay?" Miss Miller asked as she walked back over to the front door._

"_Okay, and I have your number so I'll call if I have any questions." Dave said as he opened the door._

"_Thank you," Miss Miller said as she walked through the door before quickly turning around. "Oh, I heard that there's going to be a bad thunder storm tonight…"_

"_Oh yeah, I heard about that, it's supposed to the worst storm of the year…" Dave said as he looked up towards the sky. Dark clouds were already forming._

"_Exactly," Miss Miller muttered. "And while she may not admit it, Brittany is terrified of thunder and lightning, so please, watch out for her…"_

"_No problem." Dave said happily._

"_Alright, I need to leave now," Miss Miller said as she headed for her car only to turn around once again. "Are you sure you can handle everything?" Miss Miller asked worryingly._

"_Miss Miller, I'm sure…" Dave laughed. "Don't worry, they're safe with me."_

_Miss Miller smiled at his reassurance and for the first time of the day, she truly felt that her girls were safe. She entered her car and before she knew it, she was on the road and driving away from her girls for the first time since they entered her life._

_Dave sighed as he watched the car drive into the distance and closed the door before returning to the kitchen to finish making dinner. As he started cooking, he could faintly hear the voices of the six chipmunks talking in the living room._

"_So, I guess you guys are our guests until tomorrow…" Simon began awkwardly._

"_I guess so…" Jeanette responded quietly._

"_So, what do you guys want to do?" Theodore asked._

"_I don't know, what do you guys usually do?" Eleanor asked in response._

"_I'm sure that we'll find something to do. After all, you ARE with the amazing Alvin Seville!" Alvin said, obviously boasting himself._

"_Oh, get over yourself." Brittany groaned._

"_You know it's true, you're just jealous." Alvin smirked._

"_As if!" Brittany shouted._

_Alvin was about to fire back but Simon quickly placed his hand over his mouth to keep him quiet._

"_Alvin, Dave said no fighting." Simon scolded. "Let's just find something sensible to do."_

"_Fine," Alvin muttered. "How about Truth or Dare?"_

"_No." They all responded simultaneously._

"_What? Why not?" Alvin questioned bitterly._

"_Because, it's a stupid game…" Brittany replied._

"_Is not." Alvin said sternly._

"_Is too." Brittany protested._

"_Is not."_

"_Is too."_

"_Is not!"_

"_Is too!"_

"_Alvin, stop!" Simon said as he pulled Alvin away from Brittany._

"_You stop too, Brittany!" Eleanor said as she grabbed her and pulled her in the opposite direction._

"_He started it!" Brittany complained._

"_Me? How did I start it?" Alvin asked before a smile crossed his lips. "You're just too scared to play it…"_

"_Me? Scared? Oh, please…" Brittany scoffed._

"_Of course you're scared…" Alvin smirked._

"_I am not!" Brittany yelled._

"_So you'll play?" Alvin asked, still with a smile on his face._

"_Fine!" Brittany responded angrily._

"_Good…" Alvin laughed as he walked over to the floor and sat down. "Let's go, you're all playing too."_

"_But Alvin…" Simon groaned._

"_Nope, we're all playing." Alvin said sternly._

"_Alvin, don't you think we're a little too young to be playing this game?" Simon asked._

"_Nope, now sit down…" Alvin answered._

"_Fine…" They all sighed before sitting down themselves to form a circle._

"_Alright," Alvin began as he looked around the circle. "Theodore… truth or dare?"_

_Just about as Theodore was about to answer, they heard Dave call them from the kitchen._

"_Guys, dinner!" Dave said._

"_We'll continue this after dinner…" Alvin said as he and the other chipmunks made their way into the dining room._

_Once they were done with dinner, the six chipmunks thanked Dave for the meal and proceeded back into the living room with Dave behind them._

"_Okay girls," Dave began as he brought the girls' bags into the living room with him. "Here are your bags. I'll go get some blankets and pillows for you six…"_

"_What do you mean 'six'?" Alvin pondered before his eyes opened wide. "You don't mean…"_

"_Yes Alvin, you three are sleeping down here with the Chipettes." Dave said as he walked over to the closet and took out six blankets and laid them down on the couch._

"_Why can't we sleep in OUR room?" Alvin asked as he watched Dave go into the closet again and pull out six pillows._

"_Because I don't want the girls down here alone and there isn't enough room in your bedroom." Dave answered._

"_Ugh!" Alvin groaned._

"_It's not going to be that bad, Alvin." Dave sighed. "Brittany, can I talk you alone for a moment?" He asked the chipmunk._

_Brittany looked at her sisters worryingly before walking off with Dave into the next room._

"_Yes, Dave?" Brittany asked as they stopped walking far enough so that the others wouldn't hear the conversation._

"_Miss Miller told me that you were a little afraid of thunder and lightning…" Dave began nervously._

"_What? I am not!" Brittany denied._

"_Brittany…" Dave said quietly._

"_Okay fine, a little, okay?" Brittany admitted. "Why?"_

"_Well, there's going to be a really bad thunder storm tonight, and I just wanted to see if you'd be alright."_

"_Of course, I'll be fine…" Brittany said confidently._

"_Alright…" Dave mumbled as he headed back into the living room with Brittany. "Okay guys, I want you in bed by ten the latest, got it?"_

"_Yes, Dave." Everyone besides Alvin responded._

"_Alvin?" Dave asked as he suspiciously looked at Alvin._

"_What?" Alvin asked as he noticed Dave's glare. "Okay, fine, in bed by ten…" Alvin mumbled._

"_Thank you," Dave said as he walked over to the stairs. "Good night, guys."_

"_Good night." They all called back._

_As soon as he was sure that Dave was completely upstairs, Alvin turned back to the group and smiled._

"_What?" Simon asked suspiciously._

"_It's eight o' clock, which means we have two hours to do play Truth or Dare…"_

_Everyone groaned before sitting in a circle as before._

"_Now Theodore, truth or dare?" Alvin asked with a mischievous grin._

"_Truth…" Theodore answered._

"_Okay…" Alvin began. "What's the worst thing you've ever done at home?"_

"_I… uh…" Theodore began nervously as he looked towards the ground. "I ruined one of Dave's best suits…"_

"_What?!" Alvin shouted in surprise, but he quickly lowered his voice. "You did that? I'm the one who got blamed for it!"_

"_I know, and I felt horrible," Theodore said sadly. "That's why I told Dave the truth."_

"_Is that why I was un-grounded early?" Alvin asked._

"_Yeah…" Theodore answered quietly. "Are you still mad?"_

"_No," Alvin sighed. "I just thought that Dave DID trust me that I didn't do it…"_

"_I'm sorry, Alvin…" Theodore said as he looked at the ground._

"_Don't worry about it, Theo." Alvin said as he smiled at his younger brother, making him smile back. "Okay, oldest siblings first! Brittany, your turn."_

"_Okay," Brittany said as she thought for a moment then smiled toward Simon. "Simon, truth or dare?"_

"_Truth…" Simon sighed._

"_Okay…" Brittany smirked. "Why did you cheat on that test?"_

"_W-What? H-How do you know about that?" Simon asked as his face turned red from embarrassment._

"_I didn't… but now I do!" Brittany laughed._

"_Ugh…" Simon growled before taking a deep breath. "I cheated on a math test… by accident, I dropped my pencil and caught a glance at another test and saw the correct answer for a question… and well, wrote it down."_

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Alvin scoffed. "Naughty, naughty, Simon…"_

"_Shut up, Alvin…" Simon said bitterly._

"_Okay, okay, I was just kidding…" Alvin said, trying to calm his brother down. "It's your turn, Si."_

"_I'm done playing this game." Brittany said as she stood up from the circle and plopped herself onto the couch and turned on the T.V._

"_So, T.V is more entertaining?" Alvin asked as he stood up as well._

"_Yes, it is." Brittany answered as she began to channel surf._

"_Whatever…" Alvin sighed before sitting on the couch and turning his attention to the T.V as well._

_As they continued watching T.V, time flew by and before they knew it, it was already ten o' clock._

_Dave made his way down the stairs and found the six chipmunks silently watching T.V._

"_Okay guys, time for bed." Dave said as he walked over to the T.V and turned it off._

"_What? But it's only like nine o' clock!" Alvin protested._

"_Try ten o' clock, Alvin." Dave said as he watched the other chipmunks get ready for bed and pull out their sleeping bags. "Alright, now, everyone get some sleep."_

"_Whatever…" Alvin muttered as he pulled his sleeping bad out as well._

_**A few hours later**_

_CRACK!_

_The noise briefly woke Alvin from his slumber as he looked around the room, seeing nothing; Alvin dropped his head back into his pillow. But he then heard something else that caught his attention, it wasn't another crack, it was sobs._

_Somebody was crying._

_Alvin sat up and looked around. He looked at each of the sleeping bags, everyone was asleep. He was about to lay back down when he noticed that Brittany's sleeping bag was shaking slightly._

_He silently slid out of his own bag and made his way over to Brittany's bag. He dropped his head low enough and heard that the sobs were coming from her, just as he thought._

"_Brittany?" Alvin asked softly. Almost immediately, Brittany jumped in surprise to find herself looking directly face-to-face with Alvin._

_Alvin could see that Brittany had been heavily crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks and shirt were tear-stained, and she looked shaken up._

"_What do you want?" Brittany responded as she quickly lifted her hands and wiped her eyes and face._

"_Brittany, why are you crying?" Alvin asked as he took a few steps towards her._

_But Alvin soon got his answer as the room brightened up and another loud crackling noise echoed throughout the room while Brittany ducked in fear._

"_Brittany…" Alvin began, trying to hold in his laughter. "Are you… scared of thunder and lightning?"_

"_Of course not!" Brittany replied angrily._

_But as another lightning bolt hit and another wave of thunder was heard, Brittany couldn't help but let out a loud whimper of fear._

_Alvin couldn't fight it any longer, he lost his battle and his laughter rang throughout the room. As his laughter died down, he looked towards Brittany who was now fully covered in her blanket and still crying._

_Guilt showered upon Alvin as he hesitantly stood up and walked over to Brittany's sleeping bag._

"_Brittany?" Alvin asked quietly as he reached his hand forward to pull the blanket down from her face._

"_Go away!" Brittany snapped before slapping away Alvin's hand._

"_What did I do?" Alvin asked as he rubbed his sore hand._

"_You're such a jerk!" Brittany said as she continued to stay engulfed by the blanket._

_Another wave of guilt overcame Alvin as he looked down at the ground, wondering why he had laughed in the first place._

"_Brittany…" Alvin whispered as he tried to pull down the blanket from Brittany's face once again, this time, there was no resistance._

_Underneath the blanket, he saw the small chipmunk cowering in fear as tears continued to stain her clothes and face._

_Without a word, Alvin sat down next to Brittany's sleeping bag and did something she or anyone else would never expect… he held her._

_For the next few moments, Alvin continued to hold Brittany close to his heart and allowed her to cry into his chest._

"_I'm sorry I laughed, Brittany…" Alvin whispered, making Brittany look up at him in astonishment._

"_Are you really apologizing… to ME?" Brittany asked as she stared into his blue eyes._

"_Yeah, I am…" Alvin answered as he stared back into her ice-blue eyes._

_In a quick second, another flash was seen and another crack was heard, but this time, it didn't make Brittany cower in fear… she was too busy concentrating on Alvin to pay attention to her own fears. Alvin noticed this and quietly chuckled to himself._

"_What?" Brittany asked as she eyed him suspiciously._

"_You didn't get scared that time…" Alvin said as he smiled at Brittany, which made her sigh._

"_That's because I have you to protect me…" Brittany said as she buried her head back into Alvin's chest._

_Within moments, Alvin heard the quiet sound of her snoring and slowly reached out and pulled one of his own pillows closer to himself. In a careful manor, he slid the pillow underneath his head and looked down at the chipmunk that was resting on his chest and smiled._

_From where his head was, he could smell the shampoo in her hair and in a way, it intoxicated him. He sighed happily to himself before closing his own eyes and falling asleep himself…_

_-End of Flashback-_

"Alvin!" Simon shouted as he shook his brother.

Alvin blinked a few times before shaking his head and turning to Simon.

"What?" Alvin asked tiredly.

"We're here…" Simon said as he gestured towards the other chipmunks that were now waiting outside of the bus.

"Oh…" Alvin sighed as he stood up and stretched before making his way out of the bus himself.

"Okay Simon, where next?" Alvin asked.

"Uh, we need to go down Elizabeth Street and the building where they're keeping Brittany should be at the end." Simon responded.

Without further hesitation, Alvin quickly made his way down the street in moderate jog. He could feel that pain in his chest returning, but he didn't care. He shrugged off the pain and continued to make his way down the street until before he knew it, they reached their destination.

Alvin stopped dead in his tracks as he unwillingly began to stare at the building. _'Brittany… I'm here…'_ Alvin thought before he began to march to the front door only to be blocked by Simon.

"Simon, what are you doing?" Alvin asked as he tried to get past Simon, but he found his attempts futile. "Move!"

"Have you finally gone crazy?" Simon asked. "We can't just barge in there!"

"And why not?" Alvin asked as he crossed his arms.

"Hmm, let's see… oh yeah, you'll be killed!" Simon said as headed towards the rest of the group. "We need to make a plan."

"Alright Einstein, what do you have in mind?" Alvin scoffed as he followed Simon.

"The first step is finding a way into the building without being noticed. Next, we're going to need to find Brittany, again, without being noticed. Then, it's just getting out of here…" Simon explained.

"So, where's the secret entrance?" Alvin questioned.

"I think that vent should work fine…" Simon said as he headed to the side of the building to find an air vent that was large enough for all of them to fit through.

"Lucky…" Alvin muttered as he stared at the vent before entering it and crawling his way through before everyone joined him.

**

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**

At the Seville residence

Dave began stirring in his bed before reluctantly sitting up.

"I'm never going to get any sleep…" Dave groaned as he quietly got out of bed.

Dave walked out of his room and made his way down the hall and opened the door to the boys' room. Once inside, Dave walked over to Alvin's bed and sat on the edge.

All three of the chipmunks had the covers over their heads, but Dave didn't pay any attention to it.

"I guess you boys are having more luck at sleeping than me, huh?" Dave chuckled.

Dave reached over to what he presumed to be Alvin's head tried to rustle his hair, only to not find it.

"What the?" Dave asked himself as he pulled the covers off of the bed to find two pillows.

Horrified, Dave quickly pulled the blankets off of Simon and Theodore's beds only to find the same thing. Dave was literally panicking at this point. He made his way over to the boys' desk to see if they left a note of some kind for him.

Sadly, he found nothing. He opened the drawers and searched through them to see if he could find something. Fortunately, he found a piece of paper that was crumpled up and stuffed into the back of the drawer.

Dave opened the piece of paper and read one of the most terrifying sentences of his entire life. On the paper was written, "Brittany a Elizabeth Toy Factory".

Putting two and two together, Dave quickly made his way out of the room, downstairs into the living room, and to the nearest phone he could find. He quickly called Miss Miller and just about he was about to give up, he heard someone on the other line pick up.

"Hello?" Asked the person.

"Miss Miller?" Dave asked the voice.

"Is that you, David?" Miss Miller asked as she yawned. "Why in the world are you calling so late?"

"Miss Miller, go see if Jeanette and Eleanor are in their beds…" Dave said quickly.

"David, what's going on?" Miss Miller asked worryingly.

"There's no time to explain, you just _need_ to go check!" Dave said, almost screaming.

He could hear Miss Miller put the phone down and run out of her room before returning into the room and grabbing the phone.

"David, they're not here! What's going on?!" Miss Miller asked.

"Miss Miller, I think that they've found out where Brittany is… and have gone to rescue her…" David said slowly, trying to take it all in himself.

"What?!" Miss Miller screamed. "Have you called the police?"

"Not yet, I was waiting to tell yo-" Dave began.

"No, call them now!" Miss Miller interrupted. "I'll be over in a minute."

"Okay." Dave said before hanging up the phone and dialing nine-one-one.

"Hello, what is your emergency?" A lady asked from the other side of the line.

"My sons and their friends have run away to rescue one of their friends!" Dave said quickly.

"Sir, please calm down. What is your name?" The lady asked.

"My name is David Seville." Dave answered.

"Okay, now do you know where they have gone?" The lady questioned.

"Yes, the old toy factory on Elizabeth Street." Dave replied. "Listen, the person that the kids have gone to rescue is Brittany Miller!" Dave said, hoping that the lady would know Brittany's name.

"Isn't that the missing girl that was reported a few days ago?" The lady asked in slightly more serious tone.

"Yes, it is." Dave responded quickly.

"Okay, Mr. Seville," The lady began. "I'll have several units dispatched and I'll have the kidnapping agency notified."

"Thank you." Dave said before hanging up the phone.

'_Why Alvin? Why must you always be SO irresponsible?!'_ Dave screamed in his head as he sat down on one of the couches and felt tears roll down his cheeks.

**

* * *

**

With Dom and Mike

Both Dom and Mike were quietly sitting in an office-type room, watching T.V. As they continued watching, Dom's cell phone began ringing.

"Hello?" Dom asked.

"Dom?" A voice asked.

"Tim, what is it?" Dom sighed.

"Dom, bro, we got a problem…" Tim said quickly.

"What kind of problem?" Dom asked sternly.

"Well, the police station just had about ten units dispatched and I bet I can guess where they're going…" Tim answered.

"What?!" Dom shouted. "How did they get this address?"

"I don't know, man, but this is a big problem…" Tim groaned.

"Tell me about it… alright, I'll call you later." Dom said as he hung up the phone. "Ben?" Dom called out.

Within seconds, Ben made his way into the office.

"Yeah?" Ben asked.

"Alright, somehow the police have gotten this address, so I need you to make sure this place is secure, got it?" Dom asked.

"Alright." Ben said before heading off to complete the task.

"You too." Dom said as he turned to Mike.

"Got it…" Mike said as a mischievous smile crossed his lips. _'Now's my chance…' _Mike said as he walked up to the stairs. _'Get ready you bitch…_' Mike thought as he laughed to himself as he walked over to door to Brittany's room and opened it…

**

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**

Ooh... a cliff hanger...

**What's going to happen to Brittany?**

**What will happen to everyone else?**

**Only time will tell...**

**REVIEW!**


	13. The Rescue: Part 2

**Driven by Love - Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Alright, here's the thrilling continuation of my story!**

**I've got to say, this was definitely one of my favorite chapters to write...**

**But that's because of the EPIC fight scene at the end! ^^**

**ENJOY!**

**This story takes place after the end of _Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman_, meaning that they are 8-9 years old.**

**Read and review! ^^**

**

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**

Chapter 13: The Rescue - Part Two

Just like she said she would, Miss Miller was over at the Seville household within a short minute and was ringing the doorbell rapidly. Hearing the loud ringing snapped Dave out of his momentary despair and had him racing towards the door. As Dave opened the door, his eyes caught the glimpse of a very distraught Miss Miller nervously standing at the door.

"Please come in, Miss Miller." Dave said softly, moving out of the way so that she could enter the house.

"Oh David, what are we going to do? It was bad enough with just Brittany missing, now all six of them?" Miss Miller cried.

"I know, Miss Miller," Dave whispered as he laid his hand on her shoulder. "I don't know what I would do if I lost any of them…"

"Do you think they're okay?" Miss Miller asked, slightly afraid of what his answer might be.

"I'm sure they're fine," Dave reassured her. "I'm sure that the police will find all of them soon and get them all back safe and sound…"

"Do you really think so?" Miss Miller asked as she weakly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Miss Miller," Dave began as he smiled down on her. "I _know_ so."

"Thank you, so much, David…" Miss Miller said as she stood up and gave Dave a hug.

"There's no need to thank me, I love those kids. My boys and your girls, all of us are family…" Dave said as hugged her back.

**

* * *

**

With Alvin

As Alvin and the rest of the group continued crawling through the air vent, their light was soon completely taken away as they entered deeper into the vent.

"I don't suppose anyone brought a flashlight or anything, right?" Alvin asked in a rhetorical tone.

"Actually," Eleanor spoke up. "Jeanette and I did. We thought it might be a good idea." Eleanor said as she pulled a small red flashlight out from her pocket.

"Good thinking, girls." Simon complimented.

"Thank you, Simon…" Jeanette said nervously. She was glad that it was dark, if it weren't, they would all be able to clearly see that she was blushing.

It took a while for Alvin to actually take the flashlight from Eleanor because of the lack of light, but once he had it, he quickly switched it on which emitted a bright light, causing everyone to have a momentary moment of blindness.

"Alright," Alvin began as he struggled to regain his sight. "Let's go…"

Without hesitation, Alvin took off and continued crawling through the vent, noticeably quicker than before.

"Alvin, you could slow down a bit…" Simon groaned as the rest of the group tried to keep up.

"No," Alvin stated flatly. "We have no idea what could be happening right now…"

Everyone let out a tired sigh, realizing that it was useless to fight Alvin, but, instead of complaining, they tried their hardest to move as quickly as their tired bodies allowed them to.

Their hard work paid off. Without notice, a short scream was heard from Alvin as he fell out of the end of the vent. Silently, the rest of the group slowly climbed out of the vent.

As soon as they got Alvin back on his feat, they all looked around. The factory was dark and covered with dust. Boxes of old toys, ranging from small cars and harmless looking kiddy toys to big, lifelike dolls that, wherever they seemed to go, their eyes would follow. Multiple bugs inhabited the walls, floors, and just about every inch of the factory. There were spiders, roaches, beetles, flies, and some bugs that even Simon and Jeanette didn't even recognize.

Each of the kids tried to come up with a word to describe the factory, they all thought of the one appropriate word, and without coming up with another one, they all decided on the word.

"Creepy…" They all whispered in unison.

Just looking around the place sent shivers up Eleanor and Theodore's spines, made Simon and Jeanette look away in disgust, and made Alvin become even more worried.

"If Brittany's scared of our attic," Eleanor began quietly. "She must be terrified in here…"

Alvin paid no attention to Eleanor's comment and immediately started looking for a door. Finding one nearby, Alvin put his ear against it to listen for any movement, noises, or anything else. Hearing nothing, Alvin silently gestured for the rest of the group to join him. Once they were all against the door, Alvin was ready to move and open the door when he heard Simon briefly chuckle.

"What could possibly funny, Simon?" Alvin asked bitterly.

Simon looked at Alvin humorously and then to everyone else and saw that they had the same expression as Alvin.

"Sorry," Simon apologized. "I was just thinking about the first day that we all met…"

Alvin was clearly confused. It was over three years that he and his brothers met the Chipettes and he still remembered a lot of the day, but even so, he couldn't think of anything that would make Simon laugh in a situation like _this_.

"What about it?" Alvin asked, keeping the same of look of confusion and anger.

"It's just that I was right…" Simon said happily, but Alvin's expression drifted from anger and confusion to just confusion. Simon noticed this. "What I predicted…" Simon said, hoping that he'd make Alvin would remember what he was talking about. Alvin's expression still had not changed. "What I told you…"

Alvin continued to stare at Simon before dropping his head to help himself think…

_-Flashback-_

_**Three years ago…**_

_It was a typical summer day, the sun was out, kids were outside and playing, and it seemed that no one had a care in the world._

_Inside the Seville household, three lazy chipmunks lay in their living room, almost completely isolated from the outside world._

_Alvin, the oldest of the three young brothers, lay on the couch silently watching T.V, Simon, the middle brother, was sitting on a different couch reading a book, occasionally glancing at the T.V, and Theodore, the youngest, was laying on the floor in front of the T.V with a coloring book in front of him, a box of crayons to his left, and a small bowl of popcorn to his right._

_Dave, their adoptive father, walked into the room with his briefcase and headed towards the door. He stopped and looked at the scene in the living room._

"_Hey, guys…" Dave said, earning a small mutter of acknowledgment from each of his sons. "What are you guys up to?"_

_Dave waited a few moments for an answer, but received none. He sighed to himself and walked into the living room and stood in front of the T.V._

"_Hey!" Alvin shouted. "I was watching that!"_

"_Not anymore," Dave replied. "Alright, I have to go work for a few hours and I want you three to go outside and get some fresh air, okay?"_

"_No, not 'okay'." Alvin mocked. "Why can't we just stay in here?"_

"_Because," Dave began. "You're boys, you're young, you three should be outside having fun, NOT cramped up in this house all day sitting in front of the T.V."_

"_What do you expect us to do out there?" Alvin asked._

"_I don't know," Dave answered, taking a moment to think. "Go play a sport…"_

"_Dave," Simon began. "We're chipmunks. We're a bit too small to play with regular kids."_

_Dave thought for a moment, Simon was right. Simon as the tallest of the boys was barely three feet tall while most children their age were well over that._

"_Then why don't you make some new friends?" Dave asked. "Oh, that reminds me; I heard that a new family moved in down the block…"_

"_So?" Alvin retorted._

"_I heard that they have three girls your age…" Dave said._

"_So," Alvin began. "You expect us to go hang out with GIRLS all day?" Alvin asked, acting completely shocked._

"_Look, Alvin," Dave sighed. "I don't care what you three do as long as it gets you out of the house and isn't dangerous, but I need to leave." Dave said as he bent down as kissed his three boys on their heads. "Bye, guys."_

"_Bye." The three chipmunks called out._

_There was a moment of silence before Theodore stood and stretched._

"_So, where are we going?" Theodore asked curiously._

"_I don't know…" Alvin sighed._

"_Well," Simon began. "Let's go see if we can make friends with those girls that Dave told us about…" Simon suggested._

"_No…" Alvin groaned. "Let's just go to the park for like an hour, I'm sure we'll find something to do…" Alvin said as he walked towards the front door._

_Simon and Theodore looked at each other unsurely before following their brother out of the door. The three walked onto the pavement of the sidewalk and began walking towards the town park. As they approached closer and closer, Alvin began to feel more and more bored._

"_What do you actually plan on us doing at the park?" Simon asked as they reached the park's gates._

"_We'll just sit on the swings until we can find something else to do…" Alvin sighed as they walked towards the park's playground._

_As they entered the playground area, Alvin immediately headed towards the swing set but stopped dead in his tracks and let out a terrified gasp as his eyes laid upon the sight in front of him. On the swing set, the last three swings, THEIR swings… were three girls swinging together._

_Alvin couldn't help but stare angrily at them._

"_Come on, Alvin; let's go find something else to do." Theodore said as he and Simon began to walk away._

"_Are you kidding?" Alvin asked angrily. "These are OUR swings; we can't just give them up to a couple of girls!"_

"_Alvin…" Simon groaned._

_Alvin ignored Simon and quickly walked over to the swing set and stood behind one of the three girls. Alvin stood there for a few moments before tapping one of the girl's shoulder._

"_You must be either lost or confused because these swings are mine and my brothers'." Alvin said in an official tone._

"_YOU must be the one confused because I believe my sisters and I were here first." The girl retorted._

"_First?" Alvin questioned. "Like that matters, these swings belong to us, I mean, you're just girls-"_

_Before Alvin could continue, the girl he was standing behind suddenly jumped off of the swing and turned to him._

"'_Just girls', huh?" The girl asked. "I think you better leave before I get even more mad." The girl warned._

_Alvin stood still for a moment, taking in the sight of girl. She was dressed almost completely in pink save for her yellow leg-warmers and her yellow scarf. Alvin detested the color pink, but he couldn't deny it… she actually made the color tolerable… no, she actually made it look GOOD. She had a beautiful shade of brown for her hair color that was neatly tied in a ponytail that was kept behind her head except for a few bangs that were grouped together and hung over the middle of her forehead and down to the bridge of her nose. She had a bright color of blue eyes that Alvin couldn't keep from staring into, he tried to look away, but he couldn't stop looking into them no matter how hard he tried. But one of the things that Alvin immediately noticed was that they were chipmunks just like him and his brothers._

_Unfortunately for Alvin, the girl noticed this and smirked._

"_Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer…" The girl laughed as she moved to sit back onto the seat._

_Alvin snapped out of his trance and quickly grabbed the swing and pulled it towards him. In response, the girl did the same thing and pulled the swing towards her._

"_Let… go…" Alvin muttered as he struggled to wrestle the swing out of the girl's grip._

"_No… we… were here… first…" The girl responded._

_Alvin kept his struggle before a smile crossed his lips and an idea popped into his head. In a quick second, Alvin pulled the swing towards him with all of his might prompting the girl to do the same thing after. However, as the girl pulled, Alvin quickly let go of the swing and the surprised girl lost her balance and fell to the ground._

_Alvin closed his eyes and bent over as he began to laugh uncontrollably._

"_Why you…" The girl began angrily as she tried to stand up._

_To her surprise, she found a weakness in her leg and fell back down to ground. The confused girl inspected her leg and found that she had scraped her knee. She stared at it for a moment before a few tears escaped her eyes._

_Hearing sniffles, Alvin opened his eyes and looked at the girl and saw that tears were dripping from her eyes._

"_Y-You weren't supposed to get hurt…" Alvin said as guilt ran over him._

_The girl didn't respond. A few more tears dripped down her face before she arched her back and began crying._

"_Oh Brittany, are you okay?" The two other girls asked as they jumped off of their swings and bent down to their sisters' height._

_Alvin took a few steps backwards before Simon and Theodore ran past him and joined the two girls and looked over the hurt girl who was still on the ground crying._

"_Look what you did now, Alvin." Simon scolded. "Why would you do something like that?"_

"_I-I-I didn't mean it…" Alvin stuttered, staring at the scrapped knee of the crying girl. "W-What do we do?"_

"_Is your mom or dad home?" Simon asked the girls._

"_No," One of the girls answered, shaking their head. "We just moved here and our mom had to go somewhere…"_

"_Okay, then we'll take her back to our house." Simon said as he stood up from the ground. "Our dad showed me how to wrap-up something like this."_

"_How do you suppose I get there?" The injured chipmunk asked between sobs._

"_We can carry you." Simon answered. "Alvin, help me…" Simon said, but Alvin didn't move. "Alvin?"_

"_I d-don't think I should…" Alvin said nervously, not daring to meet any of their eyes._

"_Whatever, Theodore, help me pick her up…" Simon said as he grabbed the girl by the arms and Theodore by the feet._

_In one quick motion, they picked the girl up and began to walk towards their house. Once they got there, Simon struggled to open the door but eventually got it open and walked with Theodore into the living room. Carefully, Simon and Theodore rested the girl onto one of the couches._

"_Okay, I'll be right back…" Simon said before running out of the living room and into the bathroom._

_Everyone stood in silence before Simon returned with a small first-aid kit with him. He opened the box and pulled out a band-aid and disinfectant spray._

"_Okay, this may sting a little…" Simon warned._

_Simon then sprayed the disinfectant onto the girl's scrapped knee, making her whimper in pain. Afterwards, Simon peeled off the back of the band-aid and put it over the scrape._

"_Alright," Simon sighed. "I'm done."_

_The girl remained silent but inspected her knee and smiled._

"_Thank you." Said, not the injured girl, but one of the other two girls._

_She had on a dark blue sweater and a purple-clad skirt and wore glasses like Simon._

"_You're welcome…" Simon began. "What's your name again?"_

"_Oh!" The bespectacled girl gasped, clearly embarrassed. "I'm Jeanette Miller…" she answered nervously…_

"_Hello, I'm Simon Seville." Simon replied happily._

"_I'm Eleanor Miller." Another girl said. She had blonde pigtails and was slightly chubby much like Theodore himself._

"_I'm Theodore Seville." Theodore said with a wide smile._

"_This is Brittany Miller." Eleanor said as she placed a hand on the injured girl's shoulder._

"_And this is Alvin Seville." Simon said as he gestured towards Alvin._

_There was another moment of silence before Theodore decided to break it._

"_Okay, I'm going to make us some snacks!" Theodore said enthusiastically._

"_You like to cook?" Eleanor asked as he eyes lit up._

"_Yeah, I mean, I'm not that good yet but I love to cook!" Theodore replied happily._

"_Me too!" Eleanor squealed._

"_Then come on!" Theodore said as he and Eleanor raced into the kitchen._

"_Alright, I'm going to go get my book from my room…" Simon said as he started to head towards the stairs._

"_What book?" Jeanette asked curiously._

"_The Seventh Crystal." Simon replied as he walked up a few steps._

"_By Gary Paulson?" Jeanette asked, making Simon stop and turn around to face her._

"_You know Gary Paulson?" Simon asked in astonishment._

"_Yeah, he's one of my favorite authors…" Jeanette answered._

"_Really? I have an entire collection of his books!" Simon exclaimed._

"_Can I see?" Jeanette asked with excitement._

"_Sure!" Simon said as he and Jeanette ran up the stairs and into the boys' room._

_Now, Alvin and Brittany were the only ones still in the living room. Brittany was still staring at her knee and Alvin was standing there petrified. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone with her._

"_So," Brittany began awkwardly. "You're name's Alvin, ri-"_

"_I'm sorry!" Alvin shouted, dropping to his knees, cutting Brittany off and taking her by surprise. "I didn't mean it! It was just supposed to be a joke; you weren't supposed to get hurt!"_

_Brittany eyes widened as she stared at the chipmunk that was on his knees apologizing._

"_I know you di-" Brittany began, but Alvin cut her off again._

"_It's okay if you hate me, I don't blame you, but I really am sorry…" Alvin said quietly._

"_Alv-" Brittany began, but she was cut off again for the third time._

"_Like I said, it was just supposed to be a joke…" Alvin said sympathetically._

"_Alv-" Brittany began, a bit more frustrated._

"_Because, I wou-" Alvin began, but was cut off by a loud groan from Brittany._

"_ALVIN!" Brittany screamed, making Alvin backup a few steps in fear. "I know that you didn't mean it, and I forgive you!"_

"_Y-You do?" Alvin asked._

"_Yes," Brittany sighed. "And I don't hate you…"_

"_You don't?" Alvin asked again._

"_No, I don't…" Brittany repeated._

"_Thank you and I promise that I'm never going to hurt you again…" Alvin said sincerely._

"_You better not, or I'm going to have to hurt YOU…" Brittany said with fake anger, but her face fell and she let out a few giggles which soon turned into a full-fledged laugh._

_Alvin stared at the laughing chipmunk for a moment before he too burst into laughter._

_**A few hours later**_

_Dave had finally come home and was both pleased and shocked to see three female chipmunks in his house. Soon after, the three girls had to leave for dinner at their house. As the three Seville boys finished their own dinner, they cleaned their plates off and headed up to their room._

"_I can't believe it, Alvin…" Simon chuckled._

"_What?" Alvin asked, eyeing his brother suspiciously._

"_I think you've finally met your perfect match…" Simon laughed._

"_What do you mean?" Alvin asked, still not catching onto Simon's hints._

"_Well, I can obviously tell that you like Brittany, and Jeanette says that Brittany likes you." Simon said in his 'fact' voice._

"_What?!" Alvin exclaimed. "I do NOT like Brittany! Why would even thi-" Alvin said before cutting himself off and thinking. "Wait, Jeanette said that Brittany likes me?" Alvin asked, trying to keep his joy from showing._

_There was no response from Simon._

"_Simon?" Alvin asked again._

_Still no answer._

"_Si?"_

_No answer._

"_SI?!"_

_Simon could no longer keep his laughter in and started laughing hysterically as Alvin sat on his bed with his arms crossed and his face a scarlet red._

_-End of flashback-_

Alvin picked his head up to reveal that his face was bright red just like it had been that night.

"Looks like you remember…" Simon smirked.

"Shut up, Simon…" Alvin said bitterly before opening the door slightly and looking through the crack. "Come on, the coast is clear." Alvin said quietly as he tip-toed through the doorway and down the long corridor as the rest on the group followed.

They soon reached another door. Alvin did the same as before and checked for any sound. Hearing none, Alvin slowly cracked the door open and looked through. Seeing nothing, he opened the door fully and walked through to the next room.

Once inside, the group looked around the new room. They saw that this room was slightly smaller but cleaner than the last. Suddenly, they heard a series of rapid footsteps coming towards them. Simon looked around frantically before setting his sights upon a small space underneath a flight of stairs.

"This way!" Simon whispered as he headed towards the space.

Although it took a large amount of effort, everyone eventually squeezed into the space and waited for either the footsteps to stop or the man to appear. When nothing happened, Alvin was about to force his way out of the steps but stopped short when a man ran down the stairs that they were hiding under.

As the man appeared before them, they quickly studied him. He was wearing a pale white shirt and dirty blue jeans. He had short red-orange hair and a few earrings. They watched him curiously as he went to all of the doors and windows one by one, shut them, locked them, and secured them. He was about to leave when they heard a voice call from upstairs.

"Ben, we need extra protection, move something in front of those doors and windows!" The voice demanded.

"Alright!" The man responded before going over to a couch that was in the room and began trying to push it.

After a minute of pushing, the couch had barely moved. _'This is going to take a while…'_ Alvin thought as he continued to watch the man before letting out a muffled sigh.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

Brittany was sitting in her room wondering what all the commotion was about. Every few seconds, she could hear something being moved, dropped, someone talking very loudly, or sometimes multiple at once. She had no idea what was going on. One moment, she was talking to Ben about his old life, his wife and daughter, when all of a sudden, Dom called for Ben and since then, he hadn't returned.

Brittany was starting to feel light-headed. She hadn't really slept or ate anything lately. She was about to lie down and try and take a nap when she heard the door unlock and slightly open.

"Well, it's about time…" Brittany joked, thinking it was Ben, she laughed as she saw a foot take its first step into the room. "What's going on anyw-" Brittany began but she cut herself off as the figured fully entered the room. The figure that entered through the door and into the room, was not Ben… it was Mike.

Brittany stared at the man in absolute horror. Her mind told her run, but her body wouldn't listen. She sat there, completely frozen in fear as she watched Mike turn around and lock the room from the inside with a key.

"Well," Mike began as a devilish grin crossed his face. "A bed? Looks like this will be easier than I thought…" Mike laughed as he took a few slow steps closer to Brittany.

Brittany's fear grew, but her control over her body grew as well. She quickly stood up from her bed and took a few steps backwards. However, this only made Mike's smile grow larger.

"What's wrong, bitch?" Mike laughed manically. "Do I scare you?" Mike asked as he took another couple steps towards Brittany.

Brittany didn't answer. _'This can't be happening!'_ Brittany screamed in her head. _'I was so close! One more day!'_ Brittany thought as she felt a few tears drip down her face.

"Aww," Mike cooed. "You're crying? Why? I haven't done anything… yet."

Brittany froze again. The way Mike had said 'yet' completely and utterly terrified her. She looked towards the door; Mike had left the key in the door. Mike noticed Brittany glance and followed it. He looked towards the door, then back at her before walking over to the door and grabbing the key.

"Thank you, I thought I forgot something…" Mike mocked. "Now, let's start this!" Mike said before lunging at Brittany.

Brittany's first instinct told her to roll to her side and she took it. She quickly moved out of the way so that Mike landed on his stomach. Brittany quickly recovered and stood up once again and immediately moved backwards. _'Distance… distance is the key! I need to keep my distance!'_ Brittany concluded.

"Why don't you just stand still?" Mike sighed before his smile returned. "I'd rather this _not_ get ugly." Mike said before lunging at Brittany again, but once again, he missed as ended up on the floor.

Brittany's heart was beating too fast. She needed to calm down. She knew that she would faint if she didn't. She tried to clear her thoughts, she tried to think of Alvin, but nothing came to her mind except the man in front of her and the horror he had planned.

"Who knows?" Mike asked as he stood up from the ground. "You might actually like it…" he smirked.

Brittany's eyes widened at that last comment.

"How could you say that?!" Brittany asked angrily, briefly taking Mike by surprise. "Do you have any idea what you're going to do to me?! How could I possibly enjoy that?!"

Mike stared at her for a moment before chuckling to himself.

"Well, here's how I think of it," Mike began as his grin grew devilish again. "If I'm going to take you… you might as well enjoy it because no matter what… it's going to happen…"

Brittany stared at him in horror. _'How could anyone possibly be this… evil, heartless, cold?'_ Brittany pondered. As Brittany stood there thinking, Mike took her brief distraction to his advantage and lunged at her again.

This time, he managed to grab the hem of her shirt before she was able to completely move out of the way.

"Let me go!" Brittany yelled as she slapped his arms.

"Stop squirming!" Mike yelled back as he grabbed both of her arms within one of his hands and forced them behind her back.

With his free hand, he began to feel up and down Brittany's body, making her shutter with his every touch. Tears escaped Brittany's eyes again as she felt his dirty hands invade the sanctity of her body. With no other options, she did the only thing that came to her mind… scream.

"Help!" Brittany screamed as she tried to escape Mike's grasp. "HELP ME!"

Brittany continued to scream as she tried to wrestle her arms free. She knew that she wouldn't be able to escape his grip, so she continued with her plan. She continued screaming as loud as she possibly could and hoped that somebody would save her.

**

* * *

**

With Alvin

Alvin continued to sit underneath the staircase, clearly bored as he watched the same man try to move around the furniture. _'I may just go out and help him…'_ Alvin thought as he dropped his head into his palm and let out a long sigh.

"Help! HELP ME!"

The sudden sound made Alvin jump. But he knew exactly what it was and without hesitation, he tried to exit the small space he was in. But there was a problem, he was being held closely by four pairs of hands.

"Let m-" Alvin began, but he felt one hand remove itself from his body and cover his mouth.

"Shh…" Simon whispered as they forced Alvin further back into the small space.

Content, Simon removed his hand from Alvin's mouth but brought his hand up to his mouth and gave him a firm gesture to stay quiet. Alvin stared at the four chipmunks for a moment before shaking his head and getting back up.

"That was Brittany! And she was screaming! What's wrong with you guys?!" Alvin asked as the four chipmunks pointed outside of the space.

He followed their fingers and saw that they were pointing at the man outside of the space. He was no longer moving at all, but instead, he had an expression of pure terror on his face.

"No…" He whispered before smacking himself on the cheek and raced up the stairs as fast as he could.

After a few moments, Alvin successfully forced his way out of the space.

He looked around for a moment before finding a wooden bat on the floor, picking it up, and heading up the same staircase as the man has just gone up.

"Alvin!" Simon screamed as he and the others crawled out of the space as well. "Where are you going?"

"I need to find Brittany." Alvin screamed as he continued to run up the stairs.

"What about the plan?" Simon yelled.

"Forget about the stupid plan! Brittany needs help now!" Alvin screamed.

"What's the bat for?" Simon screamed as he tried to think of what Alvin could do with it.

"Just in case!" Alvin responded as he reached the top of the stairs and darted down the nearest hallway he could find.

'_I'm coming Brittany, I'm coming!'_ Alvin screamed in his head as he started to open random doors, hoping to find Brittany.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

Brittany continued to scream before Mike picked her up and threw her onto the bed. He approached her slowly, laughing to himself. Brittany was no longer screaming as loud as she had been, she was trying to keep her tears in, but it was useless. Her tears wouldn't stop.

"You know," Mike began. "I didn't want it to happen this way… but I have to admit, it's a whole lot hotter than normal…"

Brittany widened her eyes and backed up on the bed until she fell off of one of the sides. By the time she regained her complete senses, Mike was on top of her, feeling her again. But this time, he was being much rougher. Rough to the point where it actually had Brittany screaming out in pain.

"That's right, keep screaming…" Mike laughed as he continued to grope Brittany.

Through everything, Mike had not noticed that faint sound of the door being unlocked and slightly opened.

To Brittany's horror, Mike stopped and began to unbutton his pants.

"No!" Brittany screamed in terror as she tried to escape, but it was no use, Mike had her pinned to the ground.

"Yes!" Mike insisted as he struggled with the button of his pants.

Neither of them noticed Ben standing in the door, watching as his heart broke in two. _'What do I do? What should I do?!'_ Ben thought as he hit himself in anger.

_"I'll always be here for you…"_

_"Do you promise?"_

_"Yes, I promise."_

"_Thanks…"_

Those words, that conversation, haunted over Ben's thoughts. That's when he decided what he had to do…

As Mike managed to finally managed to get his pants unbuttoned, he began to pull them off. But to his surprise, he heard a loud battle cry as he looked to his left and saw Ben running towards him. With barely any time to react, Mike put his arms up to protect his face and head but Ben dove and tackled him from the waist down which made them drop to the floor.

Without a second though, Ben quickly got up and pinned Mike down to ground by putting himself on top and in one quick movement, delivered a fast but powerful punch to Mike's left cheek, immediately causing it to bleed.

"Son of a bi-" Mike began, but his words were cut off by Ben punching him with the opposite arm.

Ben continued in that fashion. He would punch Mike's cheek with one arm, and then the next would be with the opposite. It was predictable, but he did not stop. He could see that Mike's face was torn and bloody underneath his hands, but still, he did not stop.

But the longer he continued, the more tired he became. Mike, still very conscious and even more angry than before, noticed this and in an instant, grabbed one of Ben's arms as it came down for another swing. In one quick motion, Mike pulled Ben down and delivered a powerful head butt to Ben's jaw which temporarily disabled both of them.

Regaining his thoughts, Mike pushed Ben off of him and pinned him down instead. He began to do the same as Ben had done; he began to punch Ben's face with a series of faster and stronger punches. But, Mike's punches were not predictable; he would often throw in a short combo which threw Ben off.

"Did… you… forget?" Mike asked through punches. "I'm the one that taught you how to fight!" Mike yelled as he delivered his last punch straight into Ben's nose and jaw.

Mike studied his brother for a moment. His lip was shredded to pieces, his nose was surely broken, and he had multiple cuts all over his face. He slapped his hand against Ben's face. Getting no response, he picked himself off of the floor and walked back over to Brittany.

"Now… where were we?" Mike asked as he spit out blood onto the floor.

Mike slowly approached Brittany and grabbed her and tried to pin her back onto the bed, however, he felt an arm wrap around his neck and two legs wrap around his torso before they pulled his to the floor.

Mike struggled to look up and saw that it was Ben, and he had gotten him into a very powerful choke hold. Mike struggled against it, but Ben wouldn't give up. Mike suddenly started to feel weary and his vision started to fade from lack of oxygen. Mike moved his arm to his pocket and reached his hand inside…

_Bang!_

_Bang!_

Those two cracks seemed to silence everything throughout the building.

Mike stayed still for a moment before he effortlessly broke out of Ben's grasp. He stood up and held up his hand. In it… laid a gun. He turned towards his brother on the floor. He laid there lifeless as blood began to form underneath and around his corpse, spilling from the two wounds, one in his chest, and the other in his stomach.

Mike smirked to himself before dropping the gun and turning towards Brittany.

"Now… there will be _no_ interruptions…" Mike said as he approached Brittany.

Brittany was completely dazed. She was staring at the lifeless body of Ben that was on the ground. _'This is just like Alvin…'_ Brittany thought in horror. _'This is all my fault…'_ Brittany thought as tears began to spill from her eyes.

Before she could react however, she felt Mike grab her and force her onto the bed.

"LET ME GO!" Brittany screamed. "HE-"

Brittany screams were cut short by a powerful blow from Mike. He had punched her hard in the side of the head and now she lay underneath him, unconscious.

Mike briefly stood up for a moment to better position himself under Brittany but as he was bending back down, he felt a heavy object hit the side of his leg.

"Ah!" Mike screamed in pain.

As Mike turned around, he saw a quick glimpse of red before the same object connected with his head and felt his consciousness slip away as he fell hard onto the floor…

**

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**

**Now... wasn't that epic?**

**I thought it was... and I actually thought it pretty cool!**

**The actual Ben/Mike fight was based off of a fight that I got into about a year ago...**

**Minus the gun... XD**

**But, anyway, that is part two of the Rescue series!**

**Just one more chapter to go on the Rescue series, but don't worry, the story is NOT over yet!**

**PLEASE PEOPLE! REVIEW!**


	14. The Rescue: Part 3

**Driven by Love: Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Well, here's the next chapter, hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Oh, and thanks to Victory's Raconteur for helping me with this!**

**ENJOY!**

**

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Chapter 14: The Rescue - Part Three

As the large body of Mike fell to the floor, the soft bang of an object hitting the floor faintly echoed through the room. Standing over the brute's body, was the red-clad chipmunk who was now staring at the motionless body of the man. He dropped the bat by his side in what was almost shock.

'_What have I done?'_ Alvin asked himself. The thought of him actually taking the man's life… immediately made him shudder.

Alvin looked to the right of the man's body, and caught the sight of the very person he originally came to save. She was lying on the nearby bed, unconscious. The side of her face was dark, but not cast in shadow; Alvin's eyes widened as he realized that it was a rather large bruise.

"Brittany!" Alvin gasped. The chipmunk ran over to her body, falling to his knees beside her. "Brittany! Brittany, wake up!" Alvin cried, shaking her pink-clad body.

Getting no response, Alvin bent down, pressing the side of his furry head against Brittany's chest.

'_Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump…'_

The chipette's heart was beating, slowly and weakly. But she was alive.

"Come on, Brittany!" Alvin said as he started to gently shake Brittany's body. "I know you're too strong to just give in!" He received no response. The chipmunk slowed his efforts, and finally stopped, feeling sorrow suddenly creep into his heart. _'Is she…really okay…?'_

"Just wake up…" Alvin whispered. He dropped his head, warm tears falling from his deep blue eyes. Slowly, gently, the red-clad chipmunk lowered down and drew his hurt friend into his arms, silently praying for her to be okay.

He was so caught up in those soft, self-kept prayers, that he didn't notice the ever-so-subtle movement in his arms…

"A…Alvin…?"

Alvin's eyes snapped opened at the sudden, soft voice. The chipmunk sniffed back his cries, and pulled back from the embrace in which he held his friend.

Staring up at him were two beautiful ice-blue jewels: his beloved Brittany's eyes, somewhat weak and filled with confusion. But she was alive and well…

Alvin smiled, tears brimming his eyes. "Oh, Brittany…" he said softly, pulling her deep into a firm embrace. _'She's okay…'_

"Alvin…" Brittany groaned weakly, "What happened?" The pink-clad chipette pulled out of her friend's somewhat smothering hug and rubbed her head, grimacing as her hand ran over the nasty bruise on her face.

Suddenly, Brittany's memories flashed back into her mind. Frightened, she huddled down, ice-blue eyes darting around the dim room. Her nervous gaze froze on the still body of Ben…and her eyes began to fill with tears.

Brittany quickly wiped them away with one quick hand before turning her attention to the other man… Mike. She growled softly as she looked upon his body, but suddenly froze as she noticed the bat to his side. A bloody gash across his head matched the form of the makeshift weapon.

'_Did Ben do that?'_ Brittany thought, fighting to make her fuzzy mind remember, _'No… Ben was… shot before that…'_ Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of that horrible scene.

But her ice-blue eyes widened in shock as she thought of the one person who could have done it.

"Alvin…" Brittany whispered. She turned back to her friend, but found the chipmunk with his back turned. He didn't move.

"I-I know what I did…" Alvin said softly. Brittany thought she heard a sniffle; her friend's body shook ever so little…

'_Is he crying?'_ Brittany wondered. Despite still being a bit frightened, she reached out to place a comforting hand on the red-clad chipmunk's back.

"I d-didn't mean to do it…" Alvin said softly. He quickly pulled his arm up to swipe away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. "But… I wasn't going to let anyone hurt you… not again…"

"Alvin…" Brittany whispered. The chipette pulled gently on his shoulders, trying to get her friend to look at her, but he shook her hands off of him.

"I wasn't strong enough to protect you back then, Brittany… but, I am now…" Alvin said softly, raising his head to glare at the wall opposite of the chipette.

Brittany watched him worriedly; he was no longer moving, only sniffling softly with his eyes turned away. But she suddenly remembered exactly what he meant…

_-Flashback-_

_**Three years ago…**_

_It seemed like an average school day. A regular, average Tuesday. Kids ran around on the blacktop outside of the school, their fun being contained only by the school bell. They ran throughout the hallways of the school; an occasional teacher would stop them, give them a warning, and then be on their way._

_As the last school bell rang, a small group of six chipmunks made their way past all of the other students and teachers, stopping when they reached their lockers._

"_So," Alvin began as he opened his locker, "What's everyone doing after school?"_

"_Jeanette and I have a science convention to go to," Simon replied._

"_Whatever…" Alvin muttered. "Theo?"_

"_Eleanor and I have a cooking class to go to." Theodore answered enthusiastically._

"_After school?" Alvin asked in fake horror._

"_Well… yeah, it's a voluntary class." Eleanor replied as she closed her own locker._

"_What's the point of that?" Alvin groaned. "Why go to a class AFTER school when you're already out?"_

_Alvin waited for an answer as he turned to collect things from his locker. Growing impatient, he turned his head towards the direction that he believed Theodore and Eleanor to be in, but to his surprise, they were gone. Simon and Jeanette were also gone. The only two that were left were he and the unusually quiet pink-clothed chipette._

_Alvin stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to say something, but when she did not, the chipmunk found his curiosity growing. He silently snuck up behind the chipette and peeked over her shoulder. Alvin saw that she was reading a note she was holding in her hands. Even more curious than before, the chipmunk squinted his eyes to try to read what the note said._

_With the awkward feeling of someone watching drowning her, Brittany looked up and turned her head a bit…to see Alvin with his head hanging over her shoulder. Following his gaze, she saw that he was trying to read the note. Brittany quickly closed the paper and stuffed it inside her book bag._

"_Doesn't the word 'privacy' mean anything to you?" Brittany snapped._

"_Nope, nothing…" Alvin smirked, receiving a quick roll of the eyes as his only response. "So, what are _you_ doing after school?"_

"_I… uh…" Brittany stammered, trying to come up with a good excuse, "I have somewhere to go…"_

"_Uh-huh…" Alvin said sarcastically. "And just where might that place be?"_

"_Like it's any of your business…" Brittany muttered as she grabbed her book bag and closed her locker with a sharp _'clang!'

"_Well, what am I supposed to do then?" Alvin asked as he watched Brittany begin to walk away._

"_I don't know, and I honestly don't care…" she answered heatedly, not even bothering to turn around._

_Secretly, she didn't mean that. Brittany would love nothing more than to spend the rest of the afternoon with her best friend… but, she had somewhere to go… somewhere he could _not _follow._

_Brittany continued to walk until she reached one of the many exits of the school. It was the least used exit, but just to make sure, she took a quick glance behind her. Finding no one, she hesitantly opened the door and continued on to her destination._

_The chipette quickly walked to the spot directly behind the school…where two other students waited. They were both older than Brittany, years older, in fact, they must've been at least seventh graders. Unfortunately for their town, school funding was cut low and the elementary school had to be combined with the middle school._

_Waiting against the building was one girl and one boy. The girl's name was Amanda Collins, while the boy…her boyfriend's name was Jeff Reed. Amanda was the captain of the cheerleading squad in her grade while Jeff was the main wide-receiver of the football team for same grade._

_Amanda was well known around the school for her beauty, but more importantly, her anger and quick temper. Jeff on the other hand, was also well known for his good looks and his impressive football skills, however, he was known for being friends with anyone. The only problem that Jeff possessed was his inability to stand up against Amanda. She would often try to manipulate him to get him to do whatever she wanted, and it usually worked._

_Their attentions turned to the chipette that was now nervously approaching them. All three were quiet for a moment._

_Amanda turned to her side to spit out her gum. She turned back to Brittany and grabbed the collar of her shirt._

"_So, did you bring the money?" Amanda asked as she literally picked the pink-clad chipette off of the ground by her shirt alone._

_Brittany, purely terrified, slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a small collection of dollar bills and coins and held them in her hand. She took in a struggled breath before extending her trembling arm and opening her hand towards Amanda._

_Amanda reluctantly released Brittany, dropping her hard to the ground before snatching the money out of her palm in one quick swipe. Brittany saw Amanda count the money in her head before she raised her head, showing a clearly angry expression._

"_Where's the rest of it?" Amanda asked plainly._

"_W-What do you m-mean?" Brittany replied, her voice shaky._

"_You know what I mean," Amanda began as she grabbed Brittany's shirt again and brought her closer. "I told you to bring thirty; this is only twenty-two!"_

"_T-That's all I could get…" Brittany said, clearly intimidated by the girl in front of her._

"_Did you forget our agreement?" Amanda sneered, "You pay me, and I don't touch those two little rats you call sisters."_

"_I-I know tha-" Brittany began, but Amanda suddenly released her grip, sending Brittany crashing towards the ground._

"_Obviously, you don't," Amanda retorted, "I guess that I'll just go see if I can get my money out of your sisters…"_

"No!"_ Brittany yelled. "I'll get you the money… I just need a little more time!"_

"_Really? How much more time?" Amanda questioned, "Because I'm sure you've realized this by now: I'm _extremely_ impatient..."_

"_Tomorrow, I'll have the rest for you tomorrow." Brittany answered frightfully._

"_Good, and if you do, I won't have to even go near you're precious sisters." Amanda said calmly. "Now, get on your knees and kiss my shoes."_

_Brittany's eyes widened_. "_W-What?"_

"_Did I stutter?" Amanda asked rhetorically. "'What?' Do you _not_ appreciate that fact that I'm agreeing not to terrorize your sisters?!"_

"_Of course I do…" Brittany muttered._

"_Then show me," Amanda said fiercely, "_Get_ on your knees, and _kiss_ my shoes!"_

_Brittany reluctantly bent down to the ground, and began crawling her way to Amanda's shoes, when suddenly she heard Jeff butt in._

"_Amanda, is this really necessary?" Jeff asked._

"_Of course," Amanda smirked. "These… _newcomers _need to find their place in this school…" She continued to watch Brittany crawl towards her feet._

_It was true; Brittany believed that she was being treated the way she was because her and her sisters were still new to the school. Usually, Brittany wouldn't take this sort of abuse and would fight back in a heartbeat, but, with her sisters on the line, the chipette was more than willing to cooperate._

_As Brittany finally reached Amanda's feet, she bent down and kissed the tip of the shoe. But just as Brittany began to get to her feet, Amanda suddenly kicked her hard in the jaw. She yelped loudly, stumbling back from the sudden pain._

"_Did I tell you to stop?" Amanda questioned. She watched the chipette whimper as she gently rubbed her sore jaw with her hands. "Now, do it again and this time, don't stop until I say so!"_

_Brittany let go over her swollen chin, looking up at the tyrant with glistening eyes. Fearfully, the chipette made her way back over to Amanda's shoes. She had bent down to kiss them again when she suddenly heard an unknown voice call her name._

"_Brittany!" the voice called out. "Don't do it!_

_The three immediately turned to direction of the voice…and saw a lone red-clad chipmunk standing there, his teeth partly bared and his blue eyes filled with anger._

"_Alvin…" Brittany whispered._

"_And what do you want, kid?" Amanda asked heatedly._

"_I want you to leave Brittany alone." Alvin growled as he approached the group. He took Brittany's arm, intending to lead her away. "And, I want you to leave her sisters alone too."_

_Amanda grinded her teeth angrily as she walked up to the two chipmunks and pushed Alvin back, breaking the chipmunk's hold on Brittany._

"_And what are _you_ going to do about, huh?" Amanda asked. She turned and shoved Brittany down hard._

_Alvin heard Brittany let out a small yelp as she fell to the ground. The sound enraged him, and he charged towards Amanda with full force. Alvin was just about to push her back…when he felt a hard punch to his stomach followed by two hands that shoved him to the ground._

_Alvin doubled over, reeling from the sudden pain. He opened his eyes, and saw Jeff standing in front of Amanda, in a full battle-ready stance._

"_Sorry Alvin, but I'm not going to let you touch my girl." Jeff growled as he shifted from foot-to-foot, glaring at the chipmunk angrily. He stood firmly in front of Amanda._

"_Good boy, Jeff." Amanda smirked._

_Alvin glared at the two for a moment in anger. He pulled himself off of the ground, and charged Jeff once again. Unfortunately, Jeff had many advantages over Alvin, one being his monstrous size compared to the small chipmunk. With little effort, Jeff punched Alvin in the face, sending the chipmunk spinning back to the ground._

"_Alvin!" Brittany yelled as she ran up to him. She gently lifted his head; his vision was blurry, and he was somewhat disoriented._

"_Brittany…" he mumbled._

_Alvin's lip was bleeding at this point, but Amanda and Jeff didn't seem to notice or care. Without notice, Amanda walked over to Brittany, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her up to eye-level._

"_Ow!" Brittany squealed in pain, groping at the hand that held her up by her auburn hair._

"_Shut up." Amanda demanded as she slapped Brittany across the face. The pink-clad chipette yelped loudly, squeezing her eyes shut and holding one hand against her cheek. Underneath, a reddening handprint was very visible._

"_Don't touch her!" Alvin growled. He leapt to his feet, only to be sent back down by a blow from Jeff._

_Then, suddenly, a few teachers came running out of the school's doors and surrounded the group of students, shocked expressions forming on their faces as they realized what was happening…_

_-End of flashback-_

Afterwards, all four of the students were sent down to the principal's office to tell their side of the story, but no matter what lies Amanda and Jeff fed them, it was clear that Alvin and Brittany were innocent.

Principal Milliken was strict with Amanda and Jeff's punishment. Both were suspended from school for two weeks and were kept under close supervision at school grounds. But, Principal Milliken was also lenient on Alvin and Brittany. Both were free from punishment and were offered counseling if they needed it.

After two weeks, Amanda and Jeff came back to the school and apologized to Alvin and Brittany about everything they did, and it seemed that everything went back to normal.

However, it gave Brittany nightmares and made her afraid to go anywhere alone for a while, but Alvin helped her through it… he felt like it was _his_ responsibility because he 'failed' to protect her. She tried to convince him otherwise, but he just wouldn't have it.

"Alvin, look at me…" Brittany demanded. She used the last bits of her dwindling energy to pull him around, get him to just look at her…

Brittany's eyes widened, and she gasped as she saw her best friend's face; his fur was utterly soaked in tears, and they had even run off from his face to form a damp spot on his red shirt. His tearful blue eyes nearly broke Brittany's heart…he usually looked so strong…

"It's okay, Alvin…" Brittany whispered. The chipette brought her friend into tight hug, gently rocking them both back and forth. She spoke like a mother trying to comfort her child: "It's okay…"

Moments passed, and it seemed like Alvin was finally starting to calm down. His eyes were no longer filled with tears and his shaky breathing was starting to return to normal.

"Come on Alvin, we need to get out of here." Brittany said gently, standing up from the low mattress.

The two began to slowly make their way to the door, but suddenly, Brittany stopped and hesitantly turned around. Alvin watched in surprise as his friend ran back to the body of Ben, kneeling beside his fallen form. Ever so gently, she began to shake him, having one last bit of hope in her heart that he was okay.

There was absolutely no response.

Brittany let a few tears escape her eyes as she realized the only person who had tried to help her was gone. She sniffled softly, rising to her feet to head back towards Alvin once again.

Both she and Alvin froze; someone behind them took a sudden, shaky breath…

Brittany turned around and saw the chest of Ben slowly moving up and down. Without a second thought, chipette was back on her knees by his side, placing one hand on his bloody shoulder.

"Brittany…" Ben whispered softly as he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? Sorry for what? You saved me…" Brittany said softly, tears streaming from her ice-blue eyes. Alvin watched, somewhat confused. He didn't know that this man had actually tried to help his best friend…and was mortally wounded trying.

"I did?" Ben asked weakly, earning a nod from Brittany, "I have… a last favor to ask of you…"

"Last? No, you're going to be okay…" Brittany cried softly.

"Brittany… I think we both know… that's not true…" Ben said softly. With his lungs damaged, it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe, let alone talk. "L-Listen… I… want you to… find… my daughter…"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

"Her… name is… Samantha… Carmine… just find her… and…" Ben stopped himself to reach his arm up and grab around a necklace that he was wearing. He rubbed it in his hands before using all of his remaining strength to pull it off of his neck with a soft _'snap'. _He then handed the chain to Brittany. "Give this to her…"

"Ben…" Brittany sobbed. She took the necklace from him, clasping it tightly in her hand.

"I just want her to know… that… I love her…" Ben whispered as he dropped his head from exhaustion.

"I'll do it…" Brittany answered as she tightened her grip even more around the chain.

"T-Thank… you…" Ben whispered. He suddenly stiffened; eyes closed…and let out one, soft breath…

Brittany stared at the body of her one friend in this horrible place with tearful eyes. Ben was the one man that actually decided to help her during this terrible time. She shook his body once, her glimmering hope fading away, before lowering her head to his chest. There was nothing… no heartbeat, no breathing, absolutely nothing…

Tears rained from Brittany's eyes as she began to realize the horrible truth… Ben was dead. She stayed frozen there, in that one spot. It was terrible…she had never _seen _someone _die _before. The chipette continued to cry softly, and barely even noticed that Alvin had pulled her into his arms.

"Brittany, I know it's hard…" Alvin began as he gently ran his fingers through her auburn hair. "But we need to go…"

"Okay…" Brittany sniffled.

Alvin helped Brittany to her feet, and the reunited friends made their way out of the room…and the rest of the group nearly crashed into them as they came running in.

"Alvin!" Simon said as they spotted him, but their eyes widened when they saw the other chipmunk with him.

"Brittany!" they all shouted happily, running to greet the pink-clad chipette.

They all talked at once, each trying to explain what had happened the past few days, but despite their efforts, it only made Brittany become confused and caused her headache to grow.

But their voices were cut short when they suddenly heard the faint sound of sirens drawing nearer and nearer, before they finally cut right off.

"Is that the cops?" Alvin asked curiously.

"It must be… but, how did they find out about this place?" Simon pondered.

"Who cares?" Alvin asked impatiently. "We need to get out of here, fast." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, and quickly made their way back down the hallway, intent on finding an exit.

'_There's something wrong…'_ Alvin thought. His vision was blurry, breathing was becoming a difficult task, and he felt extremely light-headed. _'Is this because of my wound?'_ Alvin casually stuck his hand down his shirt to feel the injury…

To his surprise, he found his chest was unusually slippery. _'Am I sweating _this_ much?'_ Alvin asked himself as he pulled his hand back to examine his palm.

To the eldest chipmunk's horror, his hand was now painted with red…

'_Blood!?'_

"Is something wrong, Alvin?" Simon asked as he looked behind him and saw his older brother with a shocked expression on his face.

"N-No…" Alvin stammered, quickly wiping his hand on his equally red sweatshirt.

The group finally made their way to a door which seemed to lead to the outside of the building; however, it was blocked by a large cabinet.

"Come on, we have to move this thing…" Brittany said as she leaned up against the side of the cabinet and began pushing, prompting the others to do the same.

After a moment of pushing, everyone suddenly froze at an odd sound. They turned; Alvin stood there, eyes squeezed shut. He held his chest tightly, and the odd sound was his very labored breathing.

"A-Alvin…" Brittany began, her voice slightly shaking with fear. "Are you… okay?"

"Yeah," Alvin gasped as he felt the room begin to spin. "I'm f-fin-"

Alvin collapsed, falling first to his knees, then finally his whole body buckled and fell to the cold, hard floor. The last thing he heard was Brittany, crying out his name in terror.

Shocked, everyone merely stood with their mouths agape at the injured chipmunk. Regaining their thoughts, they rushed to Alvin's side, where Brittany was trying her hardest to wake him up, but it was no use. Simon brought his head down and checked for a pulse from Alvin. Fortunately, he still had one.

But Simon noticed that his older brother was sweating heavily, and decided to strip him of his sweatshirt. Once the clothing was removed, the group gaped in horror at the bloody chest of the unconscious chipmunk.

"What happened to him?" Brittany asked in shock.

"H-His wound must've reopened…" Simon answered softly, remembering Doctor Thomas' words carefully.

_"He needs to get plenty of rest. If he doesn't, the wound could re-open itself and… well, let's hope that doesn't happen."_

Suddenly, Simon felt terrible about the thought of actually _encouraging_ Alvin to risk his life to find and save Brittany.

"What do we do?" Eleanor cried as she tried to bring her eyes away from the gruesome image in front of her. Theodore quickly pulled her away, for her comfort alone.

"Uh… we… uh…" Simon stammered. _'Think Simon, think…_' Simon screamed in his head before the medical knowledge he had acquired from reading books entered his mind. "We need to keep pressure on it and try to stop the bleeding!" The bespectacled chipmunk put his hands on Alvin's chest and quickly pressed down. "Help me!"

Everyone quickly rushed to do the same.

A few minutes passed by and it seemed as if Alvin's conditioned had only worsened.

"Simon, this isn't working!" Brittany cried as she stared at Alvin's increasingly pale face.

Simon couldn't lie to himself; he knew that Alvin was in big trouble.

Suddenly, the door the group had been attempting to use as their exit crashed open. Before the chipmunks knew what was happening, two hissing silver cans clanged into the hallway, bursting out bright white smoke that made the group's eyes water and their throats scratch: it was tear gas.

Three police officers quickly stormed into the building from the area beyond, guns raised in caution. As the tear gas faded away, they pulled off their facemasks. They looked around, taking a moment to notice the five rather frightened, coughing chipmunks that huddled around their injured friend, tears in their eyes from both the gas and fright.

The lead officer turned to the one on his left. "Get the medics," he said firmly, and the other officer responded with a curt nod before quickly bolting back out the door.

The officer returned a short moment later, a team of paramedics trailing behind him.

The paramedics quickly brought in six stretchers and collected the six chipmunks upon them- being especially careful with Alvin and the somewhat resistant Brittany- and left the building. Once outside, the paramedics administered fresh oxygen to the chipmunks, making them each fall into a deep sleep.

As Brittany was forced into sleep, she turned her head slightly, face half-covered with the oxygen mask. She struggled to see where they had taken Alvin, but it was no use.

Her voice just a squeak, muffled by the mask, she said: "…Al…vin…"

And finally, her world spun into darkness.

**

* * *

**

At the Seville residence

Both Dave and Miss Miller were waiting impatiently for any news to come. Dave was pacing the floor like a caged lion, desperately praying that his boys were okay. Miss Miller sat nearby, crying softly into her hands.

Suddenly, their grief was cut short by the loud chime of the telephone.

"Hello?" Dave asked as he quickly picked up the phone.

"Yes, Mr. Seville?" The voice replied.

"Yes?" Dave responded.

"We were just informed that the Elizabeth toy factory was infiltrated and they found six chipmunks there, one confirmed as being Brittany Miller." The voice answered.

"Where are they?" Dave asked impatiently.

"They are at St. Jon's Hospital." The voice responded.

"Thank you." Dave replied before hanging up and turning towards Miss Miller. "They found the kids… _all_ of them. They're at the hospital."

"Then let's go!" Miss Miller nearly yelled before both of them headed out of the door.

Once at the hospital, Dave and Miss Miller immediately got the room number and headed towards the correct room, praying that their little ones were okay. Once inside, they both were relieved to see the kids in the hospital beds, sleeping peacefully.

'_Where's Alvin?'_ Dave asked himself, sticking his head out of the hospital room to look for a doctor.

"Excuse me?" Dave asked, getting one's attention.

"Yes?" The man replied.

"Do you know where Alvin Seville is?" Dave asked quickly.

"Red shirt, big yellow 'A'…?" The man asked, earning a nod from Dave. "I believe he's still in surgery."

"Surgery?" Dave repeated worriedly, "For what?"

"I'm not exactly sure," The man replied, "But it seems his injury was a rather severe one…I'm sorry, but please excuse me, I need to get to my station." The man answered before heading the now petrified Dave.

Dave slowly headed back into the hospital room, taking a seat in one of the many padded chairs. For a moment, he let the hectic situation sink in…and finally buried his face in his hands, struggling not to cry.

Miss Miller tried to comfort him and asked him what was wrong, but he refused to answer. The only thing that they could both do was sit, wait, and hope for the best.

**

* * *

**

Several hours later…

Brittany's eyes fluttered open, and light suddenly returned to her world. The chipette looked to her left and saw her two sisters sleeping soundly next to her. She then looked to her right and saw Simon and Theodore also sleeping…but the third bed was empty.

Memories…captivity…Ben dying…Alvin came…Alvin was-

"A-Alvin!" Brittany cried, jolting upwards in bed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced around the room. _'No…where is he!?'_

"Calm down, dear…" Miss Miller whispered.

Brittany turned her attention towards Miss Miller's voice and saw her and Dave sitting in two of the hospital's burgundy padded chairs. Miss Miller immediately stood and ran to Brittany's bedside, tears in her old eyes.

"Miss Miller…" Brittany whispered.

"I'm so glad that you're okay…" Miss Miller cried as she gave Brittany a long hug. "I was so worried about you…"

"I'm sorry…" Brittany said, feeling a bit guilty about scaring her mother so much.

"It's not your fault dear…" Miss Miller said as she smiled at Brittany. "We've all mis-"

But Miss Miller was cut off as the large wooden door- oversized to allow passage of hospital beds- swung open, and a single hospital-uniform-clad doctor stepped inside.

"Doctor Thomas," Dave began, getting up from the chair. "What's wrong with Alvin?"

"Well, it seems as if Alvin's wound has reopened itself…" Doctor Thomas sighed, as he closed the door quietly behind him.

"Well, he's going to be okay, right?" Brittany asked as she overheard, slightly afraid of what the answer might be.

"I'm afraid not…" Doctor Thomas said quietly. "It's extremely bad… right now, Alvin has a four percent chance of recovering…"

There was a terrible silence…then:

"He…he probably won't even make it through the night…" Doctor Thomas finished, causing everyone in the room to let out an involuntary gasp.

"I'm sorry…" the doctor whispered.

"Is there nothing else that you can do?" Dave asked. His eyes were red and puffy, threatening to overflow with tears.

"No," Doctor Thomas sighed. "At this point, Alvin would need a miracle…"

Doctor Thomas didn't continue, instead he apologized once more before turning to leave, but Brittany's cry suddenly stopped him:

"D-Doctor…?" she said, voice cracking from tears, "Please…_please _can we go see him…?"

Doctor Thomas sighed deeply, looking into the chipette's tearful ice-blue eyes. "Alright…visiting hours end soon, but you can go now if you want…room 252…"

With that, he quietly left the room, feeling a terrible cross of shame and sadness that he had to tell such a strong family that it could soon be broken.

Brittany broke down into tears, turning to Miss Miller. "I-I want to see him…_please!" _she pleaded, struggling to talk through her sobs.

"It's okay, Brittany…" Miss Miller whispered as she rubbed Brittany's back, "Dave, would you mind taking her? I'll stay here with the others."

Dave nodded gratefully, and got to his feet. Brittany stood; Miss Miller caught her as she stumbled a bit. Dave put one arm over the chipette's shoulder, and helped her keep her balance as they made their way to room 252.

Finally, having traveled up one floor via the elevator, the two found a large, wooden door with the number 252 written in golden metal digits.

The pink-clad chipette rushed forward, pulling down the handle to push open the door…

Doctor Thomas stood by a large medical bed, holding a wooden clipboard and writing down something unknown.

But both Brittany and Dave felt tears sting their eyes as they saw the chipmunk that they sought.

Alvin lay on his back in the bed, his eyes squeezed shut. His eyelids fluttered despite his deep sleep, and he squirmed ever-so-slightly. The chipmunk breathed heavily, as if he had just come up from underwater with little oxygen to spare.

Without even alerting the Doctor to her presence, Brittany immediately ran around to the edge of the bed, climbing up onto the white mattress, careful to avoid the tangles of wires that connected Alvin to a series of beeping machines.

Brittany looked at her best friend for a few moments, tears forming in her ice-blue eyes, before she finally laying down beside his slightly shivering form, snuggling up to his side.

The Doctor was quite surprised; he looked up, sadness in his eyes what he saw, then turned to Dave. "I can't bring myself to say that it's best to leave Alvin be…but visiting hours are almost up."

Dave nodded, although he was too lost in his own anguish over his son to really acknowledge what the Doctor had said.

"No matter the circumstances, however, you cannot stay overnight." Doctor Thomas explained. "Alvin needs to rest…he cannot be disturbed."

Dave sighed sadly, keeping his tears locked away. He slowly walked over, and placed a gentle, fatherly kiss on Alvin's alarmingly warm forehead.

With that, he turned to leave, opening the door…but turned back to the pink-clad chipette still curled up by Alvin, crying softly.

"Brittany, com-" Dave began.

"_No!"_ Brittany cried, "I'm _not_ going to leave him!"

"I'm sorry Miss Miller, but you can't stay here overnight." Doctor Thomas said quietly.

"I don't care! I'm not leaving!" Brittany sobbed, tears streaming from her ice-blue eyes.

"But-" Doctor Thomas began, but Dave suddenly put a single hand on his shoulder, bending him down slightly to speak into his ear.

"Please," Dave said quietly, "Brittany's been through so much… just, please let her stay…she deserves it. She won't get in the way…she only wants to be near him."

"I…" Doctor Thomas stammered, before taking in a deep breath, "Okay, she can stay… but no one else."

"Thank you, Doctor." Dave said gratefully before turning towards Brittany. "And Brittany, we'll be back tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

Brittany didn't bother looking up; she was too preoccupied with trying to comfort Alvin. After a moment, she heard a soft sound, followed by the door closing quietly, and realized that she was now alone…

No…she wasn't alone.

"I know you, Alvin…" Brittany whispered as a few more tears fell from her eyes, "You never give in… that's one of the reasons that I…I love you…"

Brittany studied Alvin's body, gently tapping his shoulder, praying for a reaction…any reactions…

There were none.

Brittany dropped her head to the soft covers, crying softly as she snuggled up to her counterpart's shuddering side. She silently prayed that he would be okay, that everything would go back to normal, that they could be happy again…

The pink-clad chipette thought and thought until finally her exhaustion took over. Darkness seeped into her mind, and her ice-blue eyes drifted closed.

Brittany fell asleep, the last image in her mind that of Alvin…and she slept peacefully next to the one person who, even so badly injured, could bring peace to her heart with his presence alone…

* * *

_**-MadFCaliburn  
**_**-Well, that's a bit of bad luck right there...  
-Will Alvin be okay? Huh, who knows?  
-I AM kinda unpredictable... oh, well... TUNE IN NEXT TIME! ^^**

_**-Victory's Raconteur  
**_**-Well, I had fun with this! =)  
-Good luck, and great chapter!**

**REVIEW! XD**


	15. Miracles Do Happen

**Driven by Love: Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**Alright people, here's the next chapter.**

**In the last chapter, I left you all off with a bit of bad news but... well, let's see! ^^**

**Will Alvin be okay?**

**What will really happen to everyone?**

**Wh- wait... it's right below here...**

**Just go read... lol.**

**ENJOY!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 15: Miracles Do Happen

_**It was a bright sunny day. Two chipmunks stood side-by-side in the park, not a care in their young minds, their only mission being to have fun.**_

"_**What do you want to do, Alvin?" The pink-clad chipette asked happily.**_

"_**I don't know," Alvin answered. "It's your choice, you choose, Brittany."**_

"_**Hmm…" Brittany hummed as she thought about their choices. "What about the jungle gym?"**_

"_**Okay." Alvin replied as he cupped his hand around Brittany's and led them both through the park.**_

_**They both reached the swing set and saw that they were still not repaired; however, Alvin smiled and led them towards the slide in the same jungle gym. Both chipmunks quickly climbed up the latter leading to the top of the slide but stopped once up there.**_

"_**So, who goes first?" Brittany asked.**_

"_**You can." Alvin answered as he smiled his famous grin.**_

"_**Really?" Brittany asked as she sat at the base of the slide.**_

"_**Really." Alvin responded as he gently pushed Brittany down the slide.**_

"_**Hey!" Brittany laughed as she slid down the plastic tube before landing at the bottom.**_

_**Alvin sat down just as Brittany had and was about to slide down when he felt to hands on his back push him.**_

"_**Whoa!" Alvin yelled as he and the other person slid down to the ground.**_

_**As Alvin picked himself up, he saw that it was Brittany that had pushed them both down and she was now on the ground laughing.**_

"_**Was that really necessary?" Alvin smirked as he held his hand out to Brittany.**_

"_**Maybe…" Brittany giggled as she took Alvin's hand and accepted being pulled to her feet.**_

_**Both were silent for a few moments, each were staring into each other's eyes, smiling, and clearly blushing. However, neither looked away, instead, they both slowly pushed their heads closer until their lips met.**_

_**After a moment which seemed to last forever, they pulled away from each other and let out a sigh. They both walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.**_

"_**Alvin?" Brittany whispered.**_

"_**Yeah?" Alvin asked.**_

"_**I love you…" Brittany sighed as she laid her head on Alvin's shoulder.**_

_**Brittany waited for Alvin to return her words, but after he did not, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. To her surprise, he was gazing forward at what seemed like nothing.**_

"_**Alvin?" Brittany said, clearly worried.**_

_**Alvin didn't respond, he simply got up from the bench and started walking away.**_

"_**Alvin?" Brittany repeated. "Where are you going?"**_

_**Again, Alvin didn't answer, he just kept walking.**_

"_**Why aren't you answering me?" Brittany yelled. "Don't you love me?"**_

_**That last question made Alvin stop. He turned around and looked Brittany straight in the eyes.**_

"'_**Love'?" Alvin scoffed. "Oh please, like I could ever love someone like you…" Alvin hissed before turning around and continuing walking.**_

_**And just like that, Brittany felt her heart break in half. She felt the world fade from her mind as tears flooded her eyes. She tried to get up from the bench to chase Alvin, but her legs went weak and she dropped to her knees.**_

_**Now immobile and heartbroken, Brittany did the last thing that she had strength for: she cried.**_

"_**Alvin…" Brittany whispered as tears drenched her beautiful face.**_

_**She opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of Alvin. He was now a small speak which continued to shrink in the distance.**_

"_**Alvin!" Brittany cried. Still, he had not turned around.**_

"ALVIN!" Brittany screamed, sitting up from the bed as a mix of tears and sweat dripped down her face.

A very confused Brittany studied her surroundings. She saw that she was in the hospital still and that the previous scene she had come out of… was just a nightmare. Brittany sighed in relief and looked to her right, to her horror; Alvin was no longer besides her.

Brittany quickly jumped off of the hospital bed and ran out of the room. She continued to run down the hospital's long corridors until she finally came across a doctor who looked like he was about to leave.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," The doctor said, trying to stop Brittany from running. "You can't run like that in a hospital, in fact, you shouldn't even be out of your bed."

"I'm not a patient," Brittany stated. "I'm lo-"

"Then you shouldn't be here, the visiting period ended hours ago." The doctor said as he started to lead Brittany towards the exit of the hospital.

"I know that," Brittany began. "I was staying with Alvin Seville, but I woke up and he was gone!" Brittany said as she struggled against the doctor.

"You're the young woman that Doctor Thomas allowed to stay overnight?" The doctor asked, earning a quick nod from Brittany. "Alright, well, Alvin Seville was taken into the emergency room a few hours ago."

"What?!" Brittany yelled. "Is he okay?"

"I honestly don't know," The doctor answered in defense. "I'm not a doctor for Alvin, so I wouldn't know his condition. You'll need to ask someone who works with Doctor Thomas or Thomas himself."

"Can you take me there?" Brittany asked quickly.

"I…" The doctor stammered. "A-Alright, follow me."

The doctor quickly took off and Brittany followed him. As they navigated through the many hallways and doors, their journey ended as the doctor and Brittany finally came to a halt at the door of an emergency room.

Just as they were about to enter through the doors, Doctor Thomas came rushing through them but stopped when he saw the two familiar figures standing outside of the doors.

"Simmons?" Doctor Thomas asked.

"Yes," Doctor Simmons answered. "I found this girl running through the halls when I was getting ready to leave and she told me that she was the girl that you let stay overnight."

"Yes, that's her." Doctor Thomas stated, briefing looking at Brittany before turning his attention back to Doctor Simmons. "I'll take over, you can leave now."

"Are you sure?" Doctor Simmons asked.

"Yes, I can handle everything." Doctor Thomas answered as he watched Doctor Simmons walk off. He then turned his full attention to Brittany. "Go back into Alvin's room, I'll be there momentarily."

"Is Alvin okay?" Brittany asked.

"Just go back to his room." Doctor Thomas sighed as he opened the emergency room doors and began to walk through them.

"Is Alvin okay?" Brittany repeated. "I'm not going anywhere until I get an answer…"

"Alvin's fine… no, better than fine…" Doctor Thomas sighed.

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked, a spark of hope burning within her.

"I need to run a few more tests, but afterwards, I'll call Alvin's family and I'll explain everything then." Doctor Thomas answered. "For now, just go wait in the hospital room."

"Okay…" Brittany muttered as she made her way back to Alvin's room.

'_I know you can make it through this, Alvin…'_ Brittany thought as she jumped back onto Alvin's bed and lay back down.

**

* * *

**

At the Seville residence

Dave lay in his bed, fully awake. Throughout the entire night, he couldn't get the thoughts of how life would be different without Alvin out of his head. He had to go into his boys' room multiple times to get them to sleep because of their own fears or nightmares. Finally, he managed to get them to sleep one last time and it seemed like it finally worked, he hadn't heard anything from them in hours.

However, Dave knew the he needed rest himself, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clear his mind enough to sleep. He sighed and looked to his left, the clock read: 'Seven forty-five'. Dave sighed and got up from his bed and silently walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

Dave made himself a cup of coffee and began drinking it before he heard the phone ring. _'Who would be calling this early?'_ Dave pondered as he walked up to the landline and picked it up.

"Hello?" Dave asked tiredly.

"Dave Seville?" The voice replied.

"Yes, may I ask who is calling?" Dave yawned.

"This is Doctor Thomas from St. Jon's Hospital," The voice answered. "I'm calling to tell you t-"

"Is Alvin okay?" Dave asked impatiently.

"Listen, Mr. Seville," Doctor Thomas began. "I need you to come down to hospital so that I may speak with you. Visiting hours start at eight and you may take anyone you would like with you."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Dave said before he hung up the phone and quickly ran upstairs.

Once upstairs, Dave quickly ran into the boys' room.

"Guys, wake up!" Dave shouted as he pulled the blankets off of Simon and Theodore.

"What is it, Dave?" Simon yawned as he sat up and put on his glasses.

"The hospital called," Dave began as he gently shook Theodore awake. "They said that we need to go down there."

"Is it about Alvin?" Theodore asked as he sat up and got off of his bed.

"I think so, but they wouldn't tell me any details." Dave said as he opened up the dresser drawers in the room to pull out clean clothes for Simon and Theodore.

"When are we going?" Simon asked as he and Theodore picked up their clean clothes and began changing.

"As soon as you two are ready…" Dave said as he glanced towards the clock. _'Seven fifty-five…'_ Dave thought to himself.

"What about Miss Miller, Jeanette, and Eleanor?" Theodore asked quietly.

"Oh, I need to call them," Dave said as he ran out of the room. "Thanks for reminding me, Theodore."

"No… problem… Dave…" Theodore mumbled as he watched Dave dart out of the room.

Once downstairs, Dave quickly ran to the kitchen, picked up the phone once again, and called Miss Miller.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Miss Miller?" Dave asked quickly. "It's Dave."

"Oh, David," Miss Miller sighed. "I don't suppose you could get to sleep either?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Miller, but there's no time." Dave said impatiently. "The hospital called and said that they needed me down there."

"Did they say what it was about or how Alvin is doing?" Miss Miller asked, clearly worried.

"Unfortunately, they didn't." Dave sighed. "I'm about to leave to go to the hospital with Simon and Theodore, but I just wanted to let you know in case you wanted to go with Jeanette and Eleanor as well."

"Of course, David," Miss Miller began. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Miss Miller, bye." Dave said quietly before hanging up.

Dave walked to the front door and saw Simon and Theodore following him.

"You guys ready to go?" Dave asked as he opened the front door.

"Yep." They both answered.

"Alright…" Dave muttered as he led them out of the door and to the car.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

Brittany lay on Alvin's hospital bed, her mind obviously in deep thought. _'Oh Alvin, you have to be alright…'_ Brittany cried in her head. _'I need to see him… I need to know…'_ Brittany concluded.

Just as Brittany was about to jump off of Alvin's bed and head back to the emergency room, the door swung open and Dave, Miss Miller, Simon, Jeanette, Theodore, and Eleanor came running into the room.

"Brittany!" Dave shouted. "Where's Alvin? Where's Doctor Thomas?"

"They haven't come back yet." Brittany answered. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Doctor Thomas called and said that he needed to talk to me about Alvin," Dave began. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Brittany mumbled. "I woke up and Alvin was gone, so I got up to find him and I found Doctor Thomas but he wouldn't tell me anything… and… I…" Brittany said quickly as tears formed in her eyes.

"It's okay, honey…" Miss Miller cooed as she bent down and picked up Brittany in her arms. "It's going to be okay…" Miss Miller whispered as she gently stoked Brittany's back.

"But you don't know that!" Brittany cried. "For all we know, Alvin could be… could be…" Brittany couldn't manage to finish her sentence, her tears and sadness overpowered her and she simply broke down.

"You just need to keep believing…" Miss Miller whispered comfortingly.

As everyone stood, watching the scene in front of them, no one noticed the door silently creek open behind them and Doctor Thomas enter the room.

"Ah, I'm glad you all could make it…" Doctor Thomas said quietly.

"Doctor," Dave began as he walked up to Doctor Thomas. "How is my son?"

"The reason I asked you to come down here is because I was hoping you could help explain what happened," Doctor Thomas answered indirectly. "Because honestly, it has everyone baffled."

"What do you mean?" Dave asked. "Is Alvin alright?"

"The thing is…" Doctor Thomas sighed. "We didn't expect Alvin to survive through the night, but currently, he's recovering at an alarming rate. Over the night, we had a nurse watch over him. Well, she called us around six ten this morning, the nurse told us that something strange was happening."

It was silent. No one dared to ask the one question that everyone was asking themselves.

"What was it?" Simon asked, finally breaking the silence.

"When I came into the observing room, this young girl," Doctor Thomas began, gesturing to Brittany. "Seemed to be having a dream, she was crying quietly and calling Alvin's name. Well, the strange thing is: Alvin was responding."

"How is that 'strange'?" Brittany questioned.

"Alvin was supposed to be near death. He shouldn't have been able to use any motor skills, let alone _respond_." Doctor Thomas answered.

"So," Dave began nervously. "What does this all mean? What happened?"

"After seeing all of this, I was alarmed." Doctor Thomas sighed. "Another doctor and I went into Alvin's room to take him to the emergency room for better observation, but when we tried to take him, we actually had to struggle with him." Doctor Thomas said as he gently rubbed his temples. "He was clearly unconscious, but he managed to get a firm grip on whatever he could in this room and he kept saying that he wouldn't leave Brittany."

Brittany's eyes widened with shock as she heard Doctor Thomas say _her_ name. _'Alvin refused to leave… me?'_ Brittany questioned herself.

"When we finally managed to bring Alvin into the emergency room," Doctor Thomas continued. "We discovered that Alvin's wound had already managed to heal a great deal on its own."

"W-What does this all mean?" Dave asked, obviously confused and still worried.

"We don't know exactly," Doctor Thomas muttered. "I told you that Alvin needed a miracle… and it seems… that he got it."

"Does that mean that Alvin's going to be okay?" Brittany asked excitedly.

"'Okay'?" Doctor Thomas repeated. "At this rate, he should do a week's worth of recovering today alone." Doctor Thomas said happily, making everyone sigh with relief.

"Can we see him?" Dave asked quickly.

"A doctor is bringing him back here as we speak." Doctor Thomas answered and as if on cue, the door was opened and a stretcher came rolling into the room.

Doctor Thomas quickly helped the other doctor carefully transfer Alvin from the portable bed, onto the bed assigned to the room. As the doctor quietly left the room, everyone studied Alvin.

They were all relieved to see that Alvin looked much better. Much of the color had returned to his face and it didn't seem like he was in pain anymore.

"I honestly don't know how he does it…" Doctor Thomas sighed. "Maybe it's because he's a very lucky kid…" Doctor Thomas concluded.

"Me? Lucky?" A weak voice smirked.

To everyone's surprise, Alvin's eyes were cracked open and he was smiling at the group.

"What?" Alvin asked quietly, observing the dropped jaws of everyone in the room.

"You weren't supposed to recover _this_ quickly…" Doctor Thomas said in pure amazement. "I really don't understand it…" Doctor Thomas said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't suppose you can explain anything, Alvin…"

"Well," Alvin began as he struggled to shift his position in the bed. "When I was asleep… all I could think about was leaving everyone…" Alvin said, earning gentle smiles from everyone. "I mean, I annoyed everyone enough yet…" Alvin snickered, earning laughs this time.

"While I may not fully understand it," Doctor Thomas began. "I'm happy to say that you're going to be just fine, Alvin."

Everyone sighed with relief and hugged Alvin as much as they could. But as they continued their celebration, the hospital door swung open and three figures came into the room.

"I told you," A nurse began, clearly aggravated. "You can't come in here without permission."

"And I told you," Another man said who was dressed in a police uniform. "We _have_ permission."

"Bu-" The nurse began, but Doctor Thomas put his hand up and cut her off.

"It's alright," Doctor Thomas began. "May I help you men?"

"Yes," The same man answered. "I am Officer James Bryan, and this is Officer William Riley." Officer Bryan said, gesturing to the second man. "We were both assigned on the 'Brittany Miller' case, and now that it's over, we're here to ask a few questions."

"Is it necessary to ask them _now_?" Doctor Thomas asked.

"We need the answers as soon as possible and if everyone's in one room, it'd just be easier." Officer Riley answered.

"I understand but I'm sure tha-" Doctor Thomas began.

"No," Dave interrupted. "It's alright. How can we help you two?" Dave asked.

"Alright, we need to know exactly what happened last night." Officer Bryan began. "First, how did you kids learn the location of Brittany?"

"Alvin and I went to the library yesterday, did a little research, and well… we found it…" Simon chuckled nervously.

"So, you all decided to _not_ tell anyone and just sneak out to rescue Brittany by yourselves?" Officer Riley questioned.

"That… was… my idea…" Alvin said weakly. "They just didn't want to let me go alone."

"Alright, now, how did you kids get into the building?" Officer Riley asked.

"We found an air vent on the side of the building that we could go through." Eleanor answered.

"Alright, and now, we get to the questions about the Carmine brothers…" Officer Bryan sighed. "What exactly happened?"

"Wait, who are you talking about?" Simon asked.

"I'm talking about Dominic, Michael, and Benjamin Carmine." Officer Bryan answered. "They were all primary suspects in this entire case."

"Well…" Brittany began quietly. "Ben… helped me…"

"Helped you?" Officer Bryan repeated. "How?"

"He would bring me food, keep me company, and… p-protect me…" Brittany whispered.

"Protect you from what?" Officer Riley asked.

"From Mike…" Brittany muttered, her mind being invaded by memories of last night.

"And can you tell what exactly happened between those two? The scene we found when our police invaded the building… surprised us a little…" Officer Bryan questioned.

"Well… Mike was trying to… touch me… and…" Brittany murmured, causing everyone to gasp with shock and horror. "And… Ben… tried to protect me. They got into a big fight, but in the end… Mike… shot Ben…"

"Alright, that would explain the bullet holes." Officer Riley whispered to Officer Bryan. "What about the large gash that was on Michael's head when we found him?"

"I did that…" Alvin muttered, causing everyone in the room to look over at him. "I don't know what he was doing but he was on top of Brittany… and I… just swung…" Alvin said before tears rained from his eyes.

Dave quickly got up and walked over to Alvin's bed and started to comfort him.

"I didn't mean to… I just wanted to protect Brittany!" Alvin cried as he dug his head into Dave's chest.

"I understand," Officer Bryan said quietly. "Well, that explains two of the brothers, and we basically know what happened to Dominic…"

"What happened?" Brittany asked.

"Well, he died from multiple gunshot wounds." Officer Bryan answered. "Apparently, someone tipped the brothers off that we knew about their position and when our team rushed the building, Dominic and another man, who we identified as Timothy Pool, opened fired on our men…"

"Two officers were killed and several others were wounded." Officer Riley continued. "That's why we flooded the building with tear gas; we couldn't take any other chances. My men were given orders to rush the building with any force needed, but as soon as we got in, we saw you kids. So, we got you six out and looked around the rest of the building."

"That's terrible…" Jeanette whispered.

"Yes, it is." Dave sighed. "But it's over now, you're all safe…" Dave said as he smiled at everyone.

"Well, it's not exactly _over_ yet…" Officer Bryan said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Miss Miller asked.

"Well, Michael Carmine has court tomorrow and we need at least Brittany to attend." Officer Bryan answered.

"I thought I… killed him…" Alvin whispered.

"No, he was badly injured, but he survived just fine." Officer Riley stated. "We just need Brittany to attend th-"

"What?!" Brittany shouted. "I'm not going anywhere near him ever again!"

"Listen, he's going to go to jail either way," Officer Riley began. "But for how long depends on if you go or not."

"How?" Brittany asked.

"We don't have any evidence to prove what happened the entire night." Officer Bryan began. "We can pin him for kidnapping you and for possession of the few drugs we found in the building, but that's only a few years. If you come, testify, and prove what happened last night and over the past few nights that they held you, he'll get a life sentence."

"But… I…" Brittany stammered.

Brittany knew that the right thing to do was to go to the court case, but she was completely terrified of seeing Mike again. She was about to tell them that she wouldn't do it, but she felt a hand wrap around her own. Brittany looked up and saw Alvin looking directly at her.

"Don't worry… I'm going to go with you…" Alvin said in a reassuring voice.

"Sorry Alvin, but you can't leave the hospital just yet." Doctor Thomas said quietly.

"I'm not letting Brittany go by herself… I'm going…" Alvin said sternly.

"But-" Doctor Thomas began.

"No, having Alvin in the court room can help the case a significant amount." Officer Riley said. "As long as Alvin's well enough…"

"I'm fine." Alvin groaned as he sat up in the bed and slowly climbed off of it.

Alvin stood for a few seconds before attempting to walk around.

"See?" Alvin asked. "I'm alright, I can go…"

"Are you sure, Alvin?" Doctor Thomas asked as he watched Alvin continue to walk around the room.

"I'm sure." Alvin said as he walked over to his bed and sat back down on it.

"Alright, the court case takes place tomorrow morning at nine o' clock." Officer Bryan said as he took out a piece of paper and wrote on it before handing it to Dave. "Here's the address."

"Thank you." Dave said as he examined the paper.

"Alright, that'll be it for now. We'll keep in touch." Officer Riley said as he and Officer Bryan began to walk out of the room.

"Bye." Everyone muttered before the two officers walked out of the door.

Everyone sat in the room's silence for a few moments. Everyone was staring at the floor or their feet except for Alvin and Brittany who were looking at each other instead. Dave and Miss Miller noticed this and exchanged glances.

"Hey," Dave began, breaking the silence. "I'm sure everyone's hungry. Let's go get some food and bring back Alvin and Brittany a plate as well."

"Alright, and I need to get the analysis of another patient's tests." Doctor Thomas said as he and everyone else left the room.

Now, it was only Alvin and Brittany left in the room. Alvin stared at the door for a few moments to make sure that everyone was really gone, once satisfied, he turned his attention to Brittany.

"How are you doing?" Alvin asked quietly.

"I should be the one asking that question! You… big jerk!" Brittany shouted as she ran up to Alvin and started slapping him on his arms.

"Hey! Ow! What did I do?" Alvin asked as he tried to protect himself from Brittany.

"Do you have any idea what you put me through?! I thought I was going to lose you!" Brittany yelled as tears drenched her face. "I have no idea what I would do without you…" Brittany whispered as she dropped herself into Alvin's arms.

"You know… I lied…" Alvin muttered as he lifted Brittany's chin and looked into her eyes. "I said that I was thinking about everyone when I was asleep… that was a lie… the truth is, my only thoughts were you and how I could never forgive myself if I left you…"

"Oh, Alvin…" Brittany cried as she pulled Alvin into a gentle kiss. "I love you…" Brittany whispered as they broke away.

"I love you too…" Alvin replied as he kissed her again.

Suddenly, the sound of someone clearing their voice echoed throughout the room.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything…" Dave said nervously as he and everyone else entered the room again.

"Of course not, Dave…" Alvin said bitterly.

"Well, here's a little food for both of you." Miss Miller said as she handed them a plate each.

"Thank you." They both said before digging into their plates.

"Alright Alvin, I talked to Doctor Thomas," Dave began. "He said you can't go home tonight, but if you keep resting, you should be able to go home tomorrow."

"Okay…" Alvin sighed.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to come here to get you, bring you home to dress nicely, and then we're going to the court."

"Ugh!" Alvin groaned.

"I'm sure you're going to look very nice, Alvin." Brittany laughed.

"Whatever…" Alvin muttered as he took another bite out of his food.

_**The next day**_

"Alvin, wake up!" Dave shouted as he shook Alvin's sleeping body.

"What?" Alvin moaned.

"You need to get up to get dressed…" Dave said, causing Alvin to cover his head with the blanket. "I'm sure Brittany's waiting for you…"

Alvin immediately sat up and got up off of the bed, making Dave chuckle.

"Alright, let's go, Alvin." Dave said as he opened the door.

**

* * *

**

With Brittany

"Come on, Brittany, wake up…" Jeanette sighed. "We have to start getting ready…"

"I don't want to!" Brittany groaned.

"I'm sure Alvin's waiting for you…" Jeanette giggled.

Brittany immediately jumped off of the bed and ran into the bathroom.

"Well, that worked…" Jeanette laughed.

**

* * *

**

At the courthouse

As everyone walked through the big building doors, Alvin noticed that Brittany shivering.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alvin asked as he wrapped his arm around Brittany.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Brittany muttered in a unconvincing tone.

"Nervous?" Alvin laughed.

"Is it that obvious?" Brittany sighed.

"Everything's going to be alright." Alvin said confidently. "Trust me."

"Okay." Brittany said as she smiled up at him. Alvin then led Brittany into the courtroom, but never released his arm around her.

As everyone took their seats in the courtroom, the judge then walked in.

"Please arise." The bailiff announced, prompting everyone to stand.

"Please be seated." The judge said.

As everyone took their seats again, the judge started looking through the files that were placed on his desk.

"Alright," The judge began, putting the folder containing the files back onto the desk and closing it. "We're here today to discuss the case of the Brittany Miller kidnapping. Does the defense have an opening statement?"

"Yes we do, your honor," Mike's lawyer began. "I believe my client was merely being used by his two other brothers against his will and had no desire to kidnap the girl or do anything else."

"Okay, and does the offence have an opening statement?" The judge asked.

"Yes," Dave's lawyer began. "I believe that Michael Carmine had every attention of committing the crime in question and we have six witnesses to testify against him."

"Alright," The judge said. "The defense may call its first witness."

"The defense calls Brittany Miller to the stand." Mike's lawyer announced.

Brittany hesitantly rose from her seat and approached the bench before being stopped by the baliff.

"Please place your left hand on the book and raise your right hand," The bailiff ordered. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I swear…" Brittany swore before sitting on the bench.

"Okay," Mike's lawyer began. "Over the days that you were detained, did my client ever hurt you in any way?"

"Um…" Brittany stammered nervously. "Y-Yes…"

"How so?" The lawyer asked.

"He slapped me a few times, he punched me on the head, and he… he…" Brittany said, struggling to get out her last words. "He… touched me…"

"Okay," The lawyer muttered under his breath as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Before the night of the kidnapping, did you ever see my client anywhere else?"

"Yes," Brittany said quietly. "About a week ago, he approached Alvin and me and he tried to kidnap me… but I got away and he ended up… shooting Alvin…" Brittany admitted, causing Alvin's eyes to widen.

'_That was HIM?"_ Alvin thought in horror as his eyes traveled to Mike who was sitting silently.

"Okay, the defense rests your honor…" The lawyer sighed.

Brittany quickly stepped down from the stand and took her place next to her family and friends again.

_**An hour later**_

Throughout the court case, Alvin and Brittany were called up to the stand multiple times while Dave, Miss Miller, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor were called up once each.

It was said by both Brittany and Alvin that Mike had shot and killed Ben. Mike's sexual attraction towards Brittany was finally admitted and so was Mike previously shooting Alvin.

Now, the judge looked like he was getting ready to end the case.

"Okay, with all that has been said, I'm asking the Jury to decide whether Michael Carmine is guilty or innocent of these charges. We will take a short break until the Jury returns." The judge decided.

_**Ten minutes later**_

The judge took his seat and watched the members of the Jury quietly take their seats.

"Has the Jury reached a verdict?" The judge asked.

"Yes we have, your honor." The speaker of the jury began. "We find Michael Carmine…

**

* * *

**

**What will be the Jury's decision?**

**Will Mike be free?**

**Will he be put in jail?**

**Well, only one way to find out!**

**And only ****two more chapters to go until the end!**

**I hope you guys are liking it so far, because I'm enjoying writing it!**

**REVIEW! ^^**

Oh darn it... another cliffhanger.


	16. We Belong

******Driven by Love: Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**And now, the thrilling continuation of my story!**

**Enjoy! ^^**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 16: We Belong**

"Has the Jury reached a verdict?" The judge asked.

"Yes we have, your honor." The speaker of the jury began. "We find Michael Carmine… guilty of all charges."

"What?!" Mike screamed in anger.

"Silence." The judge ordered, immediately making Mike shut his mouth. "Michael Carmine, you are found guilty of second-degree murder, kidnapping, assault, sexual assault, sexual assault towards a minor, drug possession, and the possession of an illegal firearm. Therefore, you are sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole." The judge announced before banging him mallet on the table, signaling the conclusion of the court case.

The bailiff and a police officer moved to escort Mike from the courthouse, but just as they were getting ready to handcuff him, Mike quickly ripped his hands free. Mike punched the bailiff in his stomach and pushed him to the ground before spinning around and punching the police officer in the face.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Mike yelled as he turned towards Brittany. "I'm not done with you yet!" Mike said before lunging at Brittany.

Alvin stepped in front of Brittany, fully prepared to engage in a brutal fight. But when a squad of four other police officers grabbed Mike and forcibly subdued him, Alvin let out a small sigh in relief.

"Don't think that you're safe!" Mike screamed in anger. "I'll be back!" Mike managed to say before he was dragged out of the courtroom.

Everyone shifted their eyes towards Brittany who was now wide-eyed and clearly shivering with fear. Alvin silently pulled Brittany into his embrace and just as he expected, within a quick moment, he could hear Brittany sobbing against his chest.

"I'm sorry, everybody," The judge said quietly. "And Ms. Miller," The judge addressed, getting Brittany to tilt her head up and look towards him. "Michael Carmine will be imprisoned for the rest of his life, there's no need for you to be afraid of him any longer."

"A-Are you sure?" Brittany asked, stuttering a bit.

"Yes." The judge answered. "The case is now over and you may all be dismissed." The judge announced before everyone in the courtroom silently stood up and began walking out of the main doors.

The last few people that remained in the courtroom were Dave, Miss Miller, Alvin, and Brittany. Alvin was still comforting Brittany as best as he could while Dave and Miss Miller quietly watched.

"Miss Miller," Dave whispered. "Why don't you go get the rest of the kids and get them ready…"

"For what, David?" Miss Miller questioned, obviously a little confused.

"Why don't we take everyone out to breakfast? It's still pretty early and I'm sure that it'll help everyone forget about this whole mess…"

"That's a wonderful idea, David," Miss Miller agreed. "Jeanette and Eleanor are still at your house, right?"

"I believe so." Dave replied.

"Alright, I'll head out and tell them to get ready." Miss Miller said before she left the courthouse herself.

Once Dave was sure that Miss Miller had indeed left, he walked over to the two chipmunks that were still holding each other and tapped his son gently on his shoulder.

Alvin slowly raised his head up and brought his attention to Dave.

"Alvin, Brittany," Dave began. "Miss Miller is going to get everybody so we can all go out for breakfast. How does that sound?"

Alvin didn't give Dave his reply; instead, he waited patiently for Brittany to say her answer first.

"That sounds good…" Brittany said as she sniffled back a few last tears and smiled at both of them.

"Alvin?" Dave questioned, waiting for his answer as well.

"I'm fine with it." Alvin answered with a small grin.

"Okay," Dave began happily. "Do you two have any ideas for a place to go to?"

"Nope…" Alvin and Brittany replied in unison.

"Big help, guys…" Dave sighed. "Alright, let's just get out of here."

Alvin silently helped Brittany to her feat and continued to hold her as the three walked out of the courthouse and to Dave's car. Once there, Dave politely opened the door for the two chipmunks and closed it once he was sure that they were both fully in the car.

Once inside the car himself, Dave started the engine but did not start driving. Instead, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hi Miss Miller," Dave greeted, making it obvious who he was talking to. "Did you get the kids ready?"

"Alright, good." Dave said happily. "I'm in the car with Alvin and Brittany right now, have you decided on where we will go to eat?" Dave asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"You haven't?" Dave sighed. "I asked Alvin and Brittany and they said they didn't care. Try asking the others…" Dave suggested.

"Okay then, I'll meet you there, bye." Dave said before hanging up.

"Alright, it seems we're going to the _Boardners Diner_ for bre-" Dave began before being cut off by a loud groan from Alvin.

"We're eating there _again_? Let me guess, Theodore picked the place…" Alvin groaned as he rolled his eyes.

"If you really don't want to eat there, I'm sure we can go somewhere el-" Dave said thoughtfully before getting cut off once again.

"No… it's okay, Dave." Alvin sighed.

"Are you sure?" Dave asked.

"Yes Dave," Brittany answered for Alvin. "Alvin and I would _love_ to eat at _Boardners_, right Alvin?"

"N-" Alvin began before being elbowed in the ribs by Brittany, causing him to release a small yelp. "I should would…" Alvin muttered, making Brittany giggle.

"Alright, if you're both sure…" Dave laughed before pulling the car out of the parking spot they were in.

During the drive to the diner, the three were silent. Dave was concentrating on his driving while Brittany was staring at Alvin who was staring out of the window.

Slightly worried, Brittany placed her hand on Alvin's back.

"Are you okay, Alvin?" Brittany asked in a soft tone.

"Yeah…" Alvin sighed.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" Brittany gasped, remembering when she elbowed him in his damaged chest.

"What? No, I'm fine." Alvin said as he smiled at her as a sign of reassurance. "It's just…"

"What?" Brittany asked after a brief moment of silence.

"I just realized something…" Alvin mumbled so quietly, he wasn't even sure if Brittany had heard it. But as he looked up, he saw Brittany anxiously waiting for him to finish. "This whole mess started with our first date… and we never even had it…"

"Oh…" Brittany sighed as she dropped her head in slight sadness.

'_Just ask her…'_ Alvin thought nervously. _'You did it once; you can do it again…'_

"B-Brittany?" Alvin asked, slightly stuttering.

"Yes, Alvin?" Brittany replied excitedly.

"Would you like to go on a date tonight?" Alvin questioned.

"Oh Alvin, I'd _love_ to…" Brittany sighed as she leaned in and kissed Alvin gently.

The two continued to kiss for a few moments, both completely forgetting that they had an audience.

"Hey you two," Dave interrupted. "Aren't you two a little too young to be kissing like that?"

"It's not like we're doing anything else, Dave…" Alvin stated, slightly annoyed.

"Still," Dave sighed. "I think you two are going a bit too fast for your age…"

"Whatever, Dave…" Alvin said as he rolled his eyes.

"Watch your tone, Alvin…" Dave warned.

"Whatever…" Alvin mumbled, making Brittany giggle to herself.

"Alvin…" Dave said, aggravated.

"What, Dave? I'm eight years old, I should be able to say whatever I want!" Alvin protested.

"Not while you're living in my house and under my rules, you can't." Dave replied sternly.

"Does that mean that it's _my_ choice to live in your house?" Alvin smirked.

"Just get out of the car, Alvin…" Dave sighed. "We're here."

"Yay…" Alvin mumbled sarcastically as he and Brittany climbed out of the car and jumped onto the sidewalk.

Dave closed the door behind the two chipmunks and locked the doors in the process. They then started to walk towards the diner's main doors. Once inside, Dave quickly found Miss Miller sitting at a large table with the rest of the kids.

"Hello, everyone." Dave greeted as the three approached the table and sat in empty seats.

"Hi." Everyone replied.

"Wow…" Brittany whispered as she looked around.

The Boardners Diner was one of the most beautiful and top-rated eating establishments in all of California. It was usually pretty busy but the service was always great and quick, while the food was always excellent.

"What?" Alvin asked curiously.

"This place is beautiful…" Brittany answered as she continued to look around.

"You've never been here before?" Alvin questioned.

"No." Brittany replied. "Wait, why didn't you want to come here?"

"It's a nice diner," Alvin began. "But it's Theodore's favorite so we come here… _a lot_…"

Everyone laughed at Alvin's comment, including Theodore, their laughter only being broken by a waitress approaching them.

"Good morning," The waitress greeted. "What would you all like to drink?"

"I'll take coffee." Dave answered.

"Okay and how would you like it?" The waitress asked.

"Black is fine." Dave said as he smiled at her.

"Okay," The waitress said as she wrote the order on her notepad. "And you, Ma'am?" She asked, gesturing at Miss Miller.

"I'll take coffee as well," Miss Miller decided. "But please put three packets of Splenda in it."

"No problem, Ma'am." The waitress replied happily. "And you, young man?" She asked, gesturing towards Simon.

"Hmm…" Simon hummed as he looked through the section of the menu labeled 'beverages'. "I guess I'll take a glass of orange juice." Simon finally answered.

"Alright then, cutie." The waitress said with a humorous wink towards Simon, making him blush heavily and making everyone else burst into laughter.

"Ahahaha…" Simon laughed sarcastically, still clearly blushing.

"Don't take it too hard, sweetie." The waitress giggled before turning towards Theodore. "And what would you like?"

"I'll take a glass of chocolate milk." Theodore answered, sporting a big grin.

"Okay, handsome." The waitress giggled as she wrote the order in her notepad.

"Here that, Theo?" Alvin laughed as he elbowed Theodore. "She called you 'handsome'."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Theodore sighed, obviously a bit embarrassed as everyone chuckled.

"What would you like, honey?" The waitress Alvin.

"I'll take a glass of milk." Alvin replied.

"Okay, and how about you?" The waitress asked Brittany.

"I'll take a glass of milk, too." Brittany answered.

"And how about you?" The waitress asked Eleanor.

"Chocolate milk, please." Eleanor replied politely.

"No problem," The waitress began. "And how about you?" She asked Jeanette.

"I'll take…" Jeanette began. "Orange juice."

"Okay." The waitress mumbled. "So, that's two coffees, one with three Splendas, two orders of milk, two orders of chocolate milk, and two orders of orange juice, right?"

"Yeah." They all replied at once.

"Alright, I'll give you time to look through the menus while I get your drinks." The waitress stated before leaving the table.

For a few moments, everyone sat quietly, each looking through the menus carefully.

"Does anyone know what they're getting yet?" Dave asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I think that I'm going to get the French toast, it looks so yummy in the picture!" Eleanor squealed with delight.

"That's one of my favorite dishes, you should get it." Theodore agreed with excitement. "That's what I'm going to get." Theodore said as he placed his menu in the center of the table.

"Okay, thank you." Eleanor giggled happily as she put her menu on top of Theodore's.

"Hmm," Brittany hummed as she continued to skim through the pages. "Alvin, what are you going to get?" Brittany asked, slightly aggravated that she couldn't decide to get.

"I'm going to get the blueberry pancakes that they sell here." Alvin answered as he closed his menu and placed it in the middle of the table along with Theodore's and Eleanor's.

"The pancakes were one of the things I was looking at," Brittany began. "Are they any good?"

"They're to _die_ for…" Alvin smirked as he rubbed his stomach out of eagerness.

"Really?" Brittany asked curiously.

"Yeah, they're another one of my favorite dishes." Theodore said happily.

"Theodore," Alvin sighed. "Everything on the menu is one of your favorite dishes…"

"So?" Theodore giggled.

"Okay, I'll have the pancakes too." Brittany decided as she placed her menu with the others on the table.

"What are you getting, Jeanette?" Simon whispered.

"I'm not sure," Jeanette replied timidly. "In fact, I was about to ask you the same thing…"

"Okay then, how about the egg and cheese omelet?" Simon asked.

"That sounds wonderful." Jeanette replied as her and Simon placed their menus in the middle of the table as well.

While the kids continued to talk with one another, Dave and Miss Miller watched silently before Dave nudged Miss Miller lightly.

"You know what's funny?" Dave chuckled lightly.

"What's that, David?" Miss Miller asked.

"Theodore and Eleanor are going to order the same exact thing, and so are Alvin and Brittany, and Simon and Jeanette." Dave answered.

"They're perfect for each other, you know…" Miss Miller stated as she looked at each of the children.

"I know…" Dave sighed.

"Especially Alvin and Brittany…" Miss Miller whispered.

"Don't remind me…" Dave muttered.

"What's wrong?" Miss Miller asked.

"I know that they care about each other… but, I just think they're moving too fast for their age…" Dave answered.

"It's love, David," Miss Miller sighed. "Besides, they're both responsible."

"I know, I know," Dave mumbled. "But if they're kissing already at eight years old, I can't imagine what we're going to have to deal with seven or eight years from now…" Dave muttered as frightening thoughts entered his mind.

"I know what you're saying, but we'll just have to see what happens." Miss Miller mumbled.

Before Dave and Miss Miller's conversation could continue, the same waitress as before returned to their table with a tray full of drinks.

"Okay," The waitress began. "One cup of coffee, black." The waitress addressed before placing the cup in front of Dave.

"Thank you." Dave said as he pulled the cup a little closer to him.

"No problem," The waitress replied. "Okay, one coffee, three Splendas." The waitress said before placing another cup in front of Miss Miller.

"Thank you, dear." Miss Miller said happily.

"You're welcome," The waitress giggled. "Two glasses of orange juice." The waitress said before placing two cups in front of Simon and Jeanette.

"Thank you." The two chipmunks replied in unison.

"No problem," The waitress began. "Two glasses of chocolate milk…" The waitress said before placing two cups in front of Theodore and Eleanor.

"Thank you very much." Theodore and Eleanor said before each of them took a sip.

"You're very welcome," The waitress laughed. "And two glasses of regular milk." The waitress said before placing the last two cups in front of Alvin and Brittany.

"Thanks." Alvin and Brittany said together.

"Okay," The waitress began as she took out her notepad again. "May I take your orders?"

"Yeah," Theodore replied anxiously. "I'll take an order of French toast, please."

"And so would I." Eleanor blurted out.

"Alright, two orders of French toast." The waitress said as she wrote in her notepad. "And you?" The waitress asked Alvin.

"I'll take the blueberry pancakes." Alvin answered.

"Me too…" Brittany said quickly.

"Okay," The waitress giggled. "Two blueberry pancakes…" The waitress mumbled, writing that into her notepad as well. "And how about you?" The waitress asked Simon.

"Jeanette and I will take the egg and cheese omelet." Simon answered.

"Okay, two orders of the egg and cheese omelet." The waitress said quietly. "How about you two?" The waitress asked, gesturing towards Dave and Miss Miller.

"I'll take a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, please." Dave said.

"Okay, scrambled eggs and bacon." The waitress said to herself. "And you, Ma'am?" The waitress asked, gesturing towards Miss Miller.

"Me?" Miss Miller asked rhetorically. "I'll take the bacon, egg, and cheese omelet." Miss Miller answered.

"Okay," The waitress muttered as she wrote in her notepad before looking back towards the table. "Two orders of blueberry pancakes, two orders of French toast, two orders of the egg and cheese omelet, a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, and a bacon, egg, and cheese omelet, correct?"

"Yes, thank you." They all replied at once.

"Alright, now just sit tight and I'll have your food quickly." The waitress said before leaving the table once again.

"How much of a wait is it usually, Dave?" Miss Miller asked.

"Surprisingly, not that long." Dave replied. "I'm going to guess about ten minutes, max."

"That's not bad for six orders." Eleanor stated.

"No, it's not." Dave sighed. "Especially considering that the diner is packed…"

Everyone looked around and saw that it was true. When they first came into the diner, it was fairly empty. It was pretty easy to get a seat. But now, there didn't seem to be one open table, and they had only been at the diner for less than a half hour.

But, just as Dave had said, within ten minutes, they saw the, now very familiar, waitress coming towards their table holding a big tray of food.

"I'm sorry that I kept you all waiting," The waitress sighed as she started to hand out the plates of food. "Blueberry pancakes…" The waitress said as she placed the two plates in front of Alvin and Brittany.

"Thanks." They both muttered before they began digging into their food.

"French toast…" The waitress mumbled as she placed two plates in front of Theodore and Eleanor.

"Thank you." They both replied happily before they began eating as well.

"Two egg and cheese omelets…" The waitress muttered as she handed Simon and Jeanette their plates.

"Thank you." Simon and Jeanette said before they began eating.

"Bacon, egg, and cheese omelet…" The waitress said, handing the plate to Miss Miller.

"Thank you, dear." Miss Miller said politely.

"And finally," The waitress began as she took the last plate off of the tray. "Scrambled eggs and bacon…"

"Thank you, Ms. …" Dave said, prompting the waitress to state her name.

"Oh, I'm sorry," The waitress replied. "Please, call me Sandy."

"Thank you for the food, Sandy." Miss Miller said happily.

"You're welcome," Sandy said. "Enjoy…" Sandy said before she left the table.

Everyone eat in silence, each engulfed in the taste of their food. Once done, everyone let out a big sigh.

"That was good…" Alvin mumbled as he burped, earning a look from Dave. "Excuse me…" Alvin chuckled.

"You were right, Alvin," Brittany began. "That _was_ to die for…"

"You really liked it?" Alvin asked, earning a nod from Brittany. "Then how about we come here tonight?"

"Oh Alvin, that'd be wonderful…" Brittany sighed.

"Wait," Dave interrupted. "What are you two talking about?"

"Well, Brittany and I want to go on our first date tonight." Alvin answered.

"Didn't you guys have your first date a few weeks ago?" Miss Miller questioned.

"No, we never had the chance." Brittany responded. "This whole… _thing_ started that night…" Brittany said as he voice dropped slightly.

"Okay," Dave sighed. "If it's alright with Miss Miller, than you two can come here for dinner."

"Of course it's alright with me." Miss Miller said quickly.

"Alright, than is everyone ready to leave?" Dave asked.

"Yeah." The kids replied in unison.

"Okay, I'll go pay the bill." Dave said as he walked towards the counter.

Once Dave was gone, everyone stood up from the table and silently stretched. Brittany placed her hands into her pockets and felt something rub against her fingers. Curious, Brittany gripped her hand around the object and pulled it out of her pocket with her hand.

Brittany's eyes widened as she stared at the object in her hand. It was the necklace that Ben had given her. Suddenly, she remembered Ben's last words as if he just said them to her again.

"_Her… name is… Samantha… Carmine… just find her… and… give this to her…"_

"Miss Miller," Brittany whispered.

Miss Miller turned around and saw the frightened and shocked expression on Brittany's face and instantly became worried.

"Brittany, what is it?" Miss Miller asked.

"Can I talk to you… in private?" Brittany questioned.

"Sure," Miss Miller answered before turning towards the rest of the group. "Kids, wait here for Dave. Brittany and I are just going to go outside for a second, okay?"

"Okay." Everyone beside Alvin said.

Alvin watched Miss Miller direct Brittany through the exit of the diner. Curious, he followed them enough to the point that he could still hear them, but would not be seen.

"Now Brittany, what is it?" Miss Miller finally asked.

"Miss Miller," Brittany began quietly. "Remember the man who was nice to me while I was kidnapped? The man who… died?"

"Yes, I remember." Miss Miller answered.

"Well, before he died… he asked me for a favor." Brittany stated.

"What was it, dear?" Miss Miller questioned.

"He asked me to find his daughter, Samantha, and to give her this…" Brittany said as she dangled the necklace in front of her.

"Brittany, I-" Miss Miller began.

"Ben saved me while I was kidnapped, Miss Miller," Brittany interrupted. "I _need_ to do this." Brittany stated firmly.

"Alright, I'll help you." Miss Miller sighed as she watched Dave and the rest of the kids exit the diner through the windows.

Suddenly, Alvin approached both of them.

"Brittany, do you want me to go with you?" Alvin asked.

"You heard?" Brittany muttered.

"Yeah… and I really don't mind, I'll be happy to help you…" Alvin sighed.

"Really?" Brittany asked, earning a nod from Alvin. Brittany then pulled Alvin into a hug. "Thank you, Alvin…"

"It's no problem, Brittany." Alvin reassured her.

"Okay Brittany, I'm sure we can find the person if we search on the computer at home." Miss Miller said before Dave and the rest of the kids walked up to them.

"So, what's going on?" Dave asked, slightly confused.

"David, I'm going to take Alvin and Brittany to my house so they can help me run an errand… do you mind keeping Jeanette and Eleanor until we're finished." Miss Miller asked.

"Um, sure…" Dave answered, even more confused than before.

"Now," Miss Miller began as she knelt in front of Jeanette and Eleanor. "You two be good, okay?"

"Okay." They both replied.

"Thank you." Miss Miller said before she kissed both of them on their cheeks. "Come on, Alvin and Brittany." Miss Miller said as she walked towards her car.

Once inside the car, Miss Miller began to drive back to her house.

"So, Brittany," Miss Miller began, breaking a few minutes of silence. "Do you know anything about this person besides her name?"

"No…" Brittany muttered.

"Okay, well I'm sure we'll still be able to find her." Miss Miller said as she smiled.

"Do you really think so?" Brittany asked as she noticed that they were pulling into the driveway.

"Yes." Miss Miller said as she opened up the door allowing Alvin and Brittany to climb out of the car.

After the three entered the house, they immediately walked towards the computer in the den. Miss Miller sat in the chair in front of it and turned it on. Once it completely started up, Miss Miller went to a website that was supposedly good at finding people.

Once the website loaded, Miss Miller typed in _'Samantha Carmine'_, which came back with two results.

"Now we just need to find out which one is her…" Brittany groaned.

"Well, this girl is apparently thirty-six years old…" Miss Miller stated.

"Okay, that's definitely not her…" Brittany sighed. "What about the other girl?"

"Well, it doesn't have _her_ age, but she's young enough to be with a parent." Miss Miller said as she read the website's information.

"That _has_ to be her…" Brittany decided.

"Are you sure, Brittany?" Alvin asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Brittany said confidently. "Miss Miller, does that website have an address?"

"Yes, it does." Miss Miller responded.

"Can you take us there, or is it too far?" Brittany asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

"No, it's not too far…" Miss Miller sighed as she wrote down the address on a piece of paper. "Are you two ready to go?"

"You mean right now?" Alvin and Brittany asked together, both slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I'd rather do this now before it gets too late." Miss Miller answered as she grabbed her car keys off of the desk. "Come on, you two…"

"Coming…" Alvin and Brittany groaned.

Once inside the car again, Alvin and Brittany quietly waited in the backseat as Miss Miller drove to the address she had written down. To their amazement, they soon arrived at the building.

"I didn't think it would be _this_ close…" Brittany mumbled as she watched Miss Miller walk over to the side of the car and open the door for her and Alvin.

"Neither did I…" Alvin replied as he and Brittany hesitantly got out of the car.

Miss Miller watched the two chipmunks stand in front of the apartment before she gently pushed both of them forward.

"Okay, okay…" Brittany sighed as she walked up to the front door of the apartment and knocked on the door.

Brittany was about to turn around and decide that no one was home when the door suddenly swung open and a middle-aged woman appeared in front of Brittany.

"May I help you?" The woman asked bitterly.

"Yes, um…" Brittany began. "Is Samantha there?"

"What would you like with my daughter?" The woman asked, even more bitterly than before.

"Then you're Ben Carmine's wife, right?" Brittany asked quickly.

The woman's eyes widened a bit before she let out a long sigh.

"Just go away…" The woman muttered as she motioned to close the door.

"Wait!" Brittany shouted, getting the woman to actually stop.

"What do you want?" The woman sighed.

"Ben is… d-dead…" Brittany finally managed to squeak out.

The woman's eyes widened even more than before, but this time, tears soon followed.

"Please…" The woman began as she struggled to wipe her tears. "Come in…"

Brittany turned around and motioned for Alvin and Brittany follow her. Now inside the apartment, they saw that it was a fairly big place that was kept clean.

"Please, sit down…" The woman muttered as she gestured towards one of her couches.

The four sat in an awkward silence as Alvin, Brittany, and Miss Miller watched the woman silently cry on the opposite couch.

"So…" The woman began, sniffling back tears in the process. "When did… it happen?"

"Two days ago…" Brittany answered.

"While I'm glad that someone decided to tell me," The woman began. "What are you doing here?"

"I was there when Ben… passed away," Brittany said quietly, choosing her words carefully. "He asked me to find you and your daughter…"

"Why?" The woman asked.

"He wanted to make sure that Samantha knew that he loved her," Brittany answered. "He also wanted me to give her this…" Brittany said before pulling the necklace out of her pocket.

The woman's eyes went wide again.

"Oh, Ben…" The woman cried as she broke down into fresh tears. "That was the necklace that I gave him on our first year anniversary…" The woman stated.

"I'm sorry…" Brittany mumbled.

The woman ignored Brittany's apologizes, and instead, headed over to the stairs.

"Samantha, can you come down here please?" The woman called out before returning to her seat on the couch.

Within a minute, a little girl walked down the stairs and took a seat next to the woman.

"This is Samantha." The woman said as she smiled at her daughter.

"Hello…" Samantha greeted nervously.

"Hi, Samantha…" Brittany said quickly.

"Samantha," The woman began. "These people have something to tell you…"

Samantha's eyes suddenly shifted from her mother, to the three souls sitting on the opposite couch.

"Samantha," Brittany began quietly. "You know your dad?"

"Yeah?" Samantha replied excitedly. "Is my daddy finally coming home?"

And just like that, Brittany felt her heart break as she looked into eyes of the innocent child in front of her.

"No…" Brittany whispered as she quickly wiped her eyes free of the tears that were starting to form. "Your daddy is… going on a long vacation…"

"A vacation?" Samantha repeated.

"Yeah," Brittany sighed. "He's going to a beautiful place where he can be happy…"

"When is he coming back?" Samantha asked innocently.

"I-I don't know…" Brittany whispered as a few tears dropped from her eyes. "But I _do_ know that he loves you very much… and he wanted you to have this…" Brittany said as she handed the child the necklace.

"W-What's going on?" Samantha asked, on the verge of tears. "You shouldn't have that! That's daddy's favorite necklace!" Samantha said as tears rolled down her face.

Brittany didn't answer; she grabbed Samantha's hand, placed the necklace inside of it, and tightened it once again.

"No! I can't take this!" Samantha cried. "Daddy will be mad! This is his favorite! Why are you giving it to me?!" Samantha asked as she buried her face into her mother's shirt and cried.

Brittany watched silently, fully crying at his point while Alvin and Miss Miller were both tearing quietly.

"Samantha," The woman began as she wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes. "Daddy… isn't coming back…"

"What?" Samantha cried. "He promised that he'd come back!"

"I know baby…" The woman whispered as she held her daughter.

"We're going to go…" Brittany said as her, Alvin, and Miss Miller stood up from the couch.

"Okay," The woman began. "Thank you for telling me the truth…"

"Bye…" Brittany whispered before they walked out of the front door.

Outside, Brittany finally broke down and began crying. Alvin saw this and held her just like the girl's mother did.

"It's okay…" Alvin whispered.

"I just couldn't tell her…" Brittany cried as she tried to wipe her tears. "I feel so bad for both of them…"

"I know, I know…" Alvin whispered.

"I just wish that there was something I… we, could do…" Brittany sighed. "I just don't know what…"

"I'm sure that you'll think of something, dear." Miss Miller said as she placed a comforting hand on Brittany's shoulder.

"Do you really think so?" Brittany asked.

"Of course," Miss Miller smiled. "And when you do think of something, I'll help you."

"Yeah," Alvin added. "And I'll be there besides you every step of the way…"

"Thank you, guys…" Brittany said, picking her head up and briefly smiling at both of them.

"In the meantime," Miss Miller said, trying to change the subject. "Let's go home."

"Okay…" Brittany muttered as she walked towards the car with Miss Miler and Alvin.

"Plus," Miss Miller began happily. "You still have a date to get ready for…"

Brittany's eyes widened before she turned to her left to see Alvin smiling at her, blushing slightly.

"I guess I kind of forgot…" Brittany mumbled, a little embarrassed.

"It's no problem," Alvin laughed. "I just want tonight to be nice…" Alvin said as he cupped his hand around Brittany's.

"As long as I'm with you…" Brittany began, looking Alvin in the eyes. "I'm sure it will be…" Brittany sighed.

Alvin and Brittany continued to stare into each other's eyes, each slowly moving closer and closer until Miss Miller interrupted them by clearing her throat.

"Brittany, would you like to go to a store and get a new outfit?" Miss Miller asked.

"No, it's alright Miss Miller." Brittany answered. "I already know what I want to wear." Brittany stated before turning back towards Alvin only to find a shocked expression on his face. "What?" Brittany asked the chipmunk curiously.

"Is Brittany Miller actually turning _down_ an offer to go shopping?" Alvin asked, almost completely speechless.

"I guess so." Brittany giggled.

"Well Alvin," Miss Miller laughed. "I'm going to drop you off at your house so I can pick Jeanette and Eleanor up too, then you should get ready yourself."

"Oh yeah," Alvin said quietly, giving the impression that he had remembered something. "What time should I pick you up?" Alvin asked Brittany.

"Hmm…" Brittany hummed. "How about six o' clock?"

"Six it is…" Alvin sighed.

"Okay, we're here." Miss Miller stated as she drove the car into the driveway of the Seville household. "Alvin, would you mind telling Jeanette and Eleanor to come outside, please?"

"Sure, but you don't want to come in for a few minutes?" Alvin asked.

"No, I have quite a few things to do at our house…" Miss Miller muttered.

"Alright," Alvin shrugged. "I'll tell them."

"Thank you, dear." Miss Miller called out.

Alvin walked into his house and immediately saw Jeanette and Eleanor in the living room with Simon and Theodore. Once Alvin closed the door, the sound made their heads to turn towards Alvin.

"Hi, Alvin." The four greeted as they watched Alvin walk into the living room and join them.

"Where did you and Brittany go, anyway?" Eleanor asked curiously.

"We… uh, went to see an old friend…" Alvin lied. "That reminds me," Alvin chuckled. "Miss Miller is waiting outside for you and Jeanette."

"Oh, okay." Eleanor said as she and Jeanette stood up. "Good bye, Theodore." Eleanor said as she smiled at Theodore and gave him a hug.

"Bye, Eleanor." Theodore replied happily.

"Bye, Simon…" Jeanette said quietly.

"Good bye, Jeanette." Simon said as he gently hugged Jeanette and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Jeanette was embarrassed at first, but soon giggled and kissed him back. The brothers watched the two exit through the front door before Alvin plopped himself onto the couch.

"So Alvin," Simon began as he sat besides his older brother. "Where did you and Brittany _really_ go?" Simon asked with a grin on his face.

"I already said that we went to see a friend…" Alvin answered.

"Alvin… you're a bad liar…" Simon smirked.

"Simon, that hurts… that really… hurts…" Alvin said as he groaned in fake pain.

"Alvin…" Simon sighed.

"Fine," Alvin groaned. "We had one last thing to do before we could put this whole mess behind us…" Alvin stated as he looked towards the ground.

Simon's expression immediately changed, and even though he was still curious, he decided not to press on the subject.

"Anyway," Simon began awkwardly. "Are you and Brittany still going on that date tonight?" Simon asked, deciding on a suitable topic.

"Of course," Alvin answered. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know…" Simon muttered. "Do you want any advice?"

"What makes you think that I need advice?" Alvin questioned.

"Well, you asked the first time…" Simon mumbled.

"I think I'll be fine." Alvin said confidently.

"So, you're not nervous?" Simon asked with a grin.

"Nope." Alvin answered.

"Are you sure, Alvin? I'm not going to laugh or anything…" Simon said reassuringly.

"Well," Alvin muttered, clearing his throat in the process. "I just hope that I don't find some way to screw this up…"

"Just be yourself, Alvin." Simon stated.

"Do you really think that will work?"Alvin asked.

"Of course." Simon said as he smiled at Alvin.

"Alright, thanks, Si." Alvin said as he smiled back.

**

* * *

**

At the Miller household – Five fifty-five PM

"Miss Miller, where are my shoes?" Brittany called through the house.

"Check underneath your bed, dear." Miss Miller sighed as she walked into the girls' room.

Brittany quickly knelt down to the floor and lifted up her bed sheets, almost immediately finding her pair of high-heels.

"And my purse?" Brittany asked as she slipped her shoes on.

"On the table downstairs." Miss Miller answered as she watched Brittany dart out of the room and down the stairs.

Once downstairs, Brittany quickly picked up her purse and went into the bathroom to check how she looked.

"Not bad…" Brittany mumbled to herself.

Brittany walked out of the bathroom and back into the den where Miss Miller, Jeanette, and Eleanor were sitting.

"How do I look?" Brittany asked as she twirled herself around.

"Beautiful…" They all answered, making Brittany giggle.

"Do you really think that Alvin will like it?" Brittany questioned.

"If he has good tastes, he will." Eleanor laughed.

Without notice, the four heard the doorbell ring. The soft chime echoed throughout the house as Brittany stood there, completely frozen in fear.

"I'll get it." Eleanor sighed as she walked past the petrified Brittany and to the front door.

Eleanor opened the door and saw Alvin in a tuxedo, waiting patiently at the door.

"Looking sharp, Alvin." Eleanor complimented before letting out a small giggle.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Alvin sighed. "Is Brittany ready?"

"Well, that depends if you can snap her out of her trance…" Eleanor laughed.

"Trance?" Alvin repeated, completely confused.

"Never mind," Eleanor giggled. "I'll go get her." Eleanor said before disappearing from the doorframe.

Within a few moments, Alvin heard a loud struggle coming from the house. Curious and slightly scared, Alvin was about to enter the house to see what all the commotion was about, but just as he placed one foot through the door, he saw Brittany being pushed to the door.

"Hi, Alvin…" Brittany greeted as she shot Eleanor an aggravated glare. Brittany then turned back to Alvin and saw that his mouth was dropped open and he saw gawking at her. "Alvin?"

Alvin ignored Brittany's words and continued to stare at her. Alvin saw that Brittany was wearing a sparkling red dress that was strapless, red high-heels that boosted her up to his height exactly, and she was sporting a small red purse.

"Do you like it?" Brittany giggled, earning a nod from Alvin. "This was that same thing that I was going to wear on our _other_ first date…"

"Well, it looks wonderful." Alvin complimented.

"Thank you," Brittany laughed. "You look pretty good yourself, Alvin."

"I know," Alvin sighed, straightening his tuxedo. "I spoil you…"

"Ah-huh…" Brittany muttered as she rolled her eyes humorously.

"So, are you ready to go?" Alvin asked after a moment.

"Um, yeah," Brittany said as she closed the front door of her house. "How are we getting there, anyway?"

"I _wanted_ to rent a limo or something but Dave said that it was 'unnecessary'…" Alvin mocked. "So, he said that he'd drive us himself." Alvin said as he pointed towards Dave's car in the driveway.

Alvin took Brittany's hand in his and led them both towards the car before Alvin opened the door politely.

"You're being awfully nice, Alvin." Brittany giggled as she entered the car and waited for Alvin to enter himself.

"That's a good thing, right?" Alvin smirked.

"Yes, it is." Brittany sighed.

"Hello, Brittany." Dave greeted from the front seat.

"Hi, Dave." Brittany smiled.

"Are you two ready to go?" Dave asked quickly.

"I think so…" Alvin said as he turned towards Brittany, looking for approval.

"Yes, we are." Brittany answered.

"Okay, then we're off…" Dave said as he started to drive towards the diner.

Once there, Alvin got himself out of the car and opened the door for Brittany once again. Alvin and Brittany started to walk into the diner when Dave called for them.

"I'm going to be back in one hour guys, please be ready." Dave said sternly.

"Yes, Dave…" Alvin and Brittany answered in unison.

When they saw Dave drive off, they entered the diner and headed towards the main desk.

"May I help you?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"Yes, we have a reservation…" Alvin replied.

"What is the name?" The lady asked as she started to look through the pad of reservations.

"'Seville'." Alvin answered.

"Ah," The woman sighed. "Table four." The woman said as she pointed towards their table.

"Thank you." Alvin and Brittany said before taking their seats at their table.

Within a minute, a waiter appeared in front of them.

"Hello, my name is Jon." The waiter introduced. "May I take your orders for drinks?"

"I'd like a glass of Coke-Cola." Brittany answered.

"Okay," Jon said as he wrote down the order. "Any you, sir?"

"Same for me, a glass of Coke-Cola." Alvin answered.

"Alright," Jon began. "I'll return momentarily with your drinks. In the meantime, please browse through our menu."

"Thanks." Alvin and Brittany replied as they picked up two menus from the table.

"I don't know about you, Alvin," Brittany began after a moment. "But I'm getting the Chicken Parma."

"Really?" Alvin asked. "That's what I was going to get…"

The two waited in silence for their waiter to return, each becoming memorized in the music that was being played in the background.

"_**Many times I've tried to tell you**_

_**Many times I've cried alone"**_

The two continued to listen; both not even realizing that the waiter had returned.

"Excuse me?" Jon asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Brittany chuckled nervously.

"It's no problem." Jon said happily as he handed them their drinks. "Have you decided on your meal?"

"Yes," Alvin answered. "We'd both like a plate of the Chicken Parma."

"Good choice," Jon laughed. "I'll have in to you as soon as possible." Jon said before heading to another table.

"_**I've invested too much time**_

_**To give you up that easy"**_

Again, the two didn't notice the plates of food being placed in front of them until the delicious smell penetrated their noses.

"I thought that the smell would help you two snap out of it…" Jon laughed.

"Thank you." Alvin and Brittany said before they began eating.

"_**We Belong to the light**_

_**We Belong to the thunder**_

_**We Belong to the sound of the words"**_

"You know, Alvin," Brittany giggled. "I think this is _our_ song…"

"And why's that?" Alvin asked.

"Because… we truly belong together…" Brittany sighed, making Alvin blush slightly.

"I love you, Brittany…" Alvin whispered as he reached his hand over the table and clasped it around Brittany's.

"I love you too, Alvin…" Brittany whispered back as she stared deep into Alvin's eyes.

"What are you thinking?" Alvin asked, noticing Brittany's gaze.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Brittany asked.

"Funny…" Alvin grinned. "I was about to ask you the same thing…" Alvin said as he bent over the table and kissed Brittany lightly.

Brittany giggled in slight embarrassment before the two returned to their food.

"_**We Belong, We Belong**_

_**We Belong together"**_

'_Oh yeah… this is definitely our song…'_ Alvin thought happily.

**

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In case you're wondering, the song is "We Belong" by Pat Benatar.

**Well, I only have one chapter left...**

**But I know what you're thinking...**

**It was such a good ending...**

**Everything was explained...**

**What could be left?**

**Well, you'll just have to wait to see! ^^**

**REVIEW!**


	17. Epilogue

**Driven by Love: Book 1: Everyone Makes Mistakes**

**And here it is people... the last chapter...**

**I can honestly say that this WAS my favorite chapter to write, and you'll see why soon enough!**

**ENJOY!**

**(P.S: EMM has made it over 100,000 total words! ^^)**

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Chapter 17: Epilogue

_**Ten years later…**_

It was a bright and sunny day. Everyone seemed to be in a happy mood, everyone except for the depressed chipmunk that was making her way down the sidewalk that she had grown accustomed to over the years.

She kept walking until she reached the iron gates which signaled that she was close to her destination. The girl tightened her grip around the two bouquets of flowers that she was carrying, pulled the strap of her purse further up her shoulder, and stood still, staring at the intimating gates.

'_I guess it's now or never…'_ The girl concluded sadly before stepping through the gates and continuing towards her destination.

The girl's journey seemed to finally come to an end as she approached two lone concrete slabs. Silently, the girl dropped to her knees and placed the carnations on the two blocks before picking herself off of the ground and muttering a few honorable words.

The girl's prayers were interrupted by a soft crunching noise behind her. The girl quickly turned around and saw a redheaded girl approaching her.

"Oh, um… hi…" The girl greeted the redheaded girl awkwardly.

"Hi…" The redheaded girl replied slowly. "Did you know my dad and uncle?" The redheaded girl finally asked.

"Your uncle and dad?" The girl repeated.

"Yeah, those are their graves." The redheaded girl replied coldly.

"Then you must be Samantha, right?" The girl exclaimed. "Wow, I haven't seen you or your mother in ten years…"

"Wait," Samantha said as she shook her head in frustration. "What are you talking about? How did you know my name, and how do you know my mother?"

"You don't remember me?" The girl asked. Seeing no different reaction from Samantha, the girl decided to continue. "My name is Brittany Miller. I was there when your father and uncle died, then I came to your house a few days later…"

"You were that girl that came to our house with that other boy and the older woman, right?" Samantha asked, her memories slowly recovering.

"Yes," Brittany sighed. "The boy's name is Alvin and the other woman's name is Miss Miller." Brittany stated.

"Not to be rude or anything…" Samantha began nervously. "But what are you doing here?"

"Oh," Brittany gasped. "I'm here because your father saved me that night, so I come here every few months to pay my respects." Brittany explained.

"Oh, right… I heard about that…" Samantha said quietly.

"Heard about what?" Brittany asked curiously.

"About what my _other_ uncle tried to do and what he _did_ do that night…" Samantha answered.

Brittany remained silent but a slight shiver went up her spine as her memories of that night came back to her. Brittany quickly pushed them out and forced a smile to on her face.

"So," Brittany began. "What are you doing later? Would you like to go and get some coffee or lunch or something to… you know, catch up?" Brittany asked.

"N-No thanks," Samantha replied, a little taken back by Brittany's sudden kindness. "I need to help my mother pack…" Samantha muttered.

"Pack?" Brittany repeated with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, we're moving." Samantha explained. "My mom thinks that it'll be good for both of us to get away from everything for a while." Samantha said as she smiled back at Brittany.

"I know what you mean…" Brittany muttered. "It's been ten years and I still find it hard to believe that it all happened…" Brittany sighed before putting on another smile.

"Yeah, but I think that my mom's problem is that she _can_ believe it all happened." Samantha giggled.

"I guess you're right." Brittany laughed in response.

"Well, I'm sorry that we have to cut this whole thing short but I really _do_ need to get going…" Samantha said as she glanced at her watch.

"Oh, right." Brittany smiled before reaching a piece of paper a pen out of her purse and began writing. "Here's my number…" Brittany said as she handed Samantha the paper.

"Alright," Samantha said as she pulled out a piece of paper and pen of her own and began writing herself. "And here's mine." Samantha said happily as she handed the paper to Brittany.

"Thanks." Brittany said before folding the paper and placing it in her purse.

"Alright, I'll talk to you soon." Samantha smiled as she began taking a few steps backwards.

"Definitely," Brittany replied with a small smile and a wave. "Good-bye."

"Bye." Samantha muttered before fully turning around and walking away.

Brittany continued to watch the girl walk away before sitting down on a nearby bench. _'She's grown a lot…'_ Brittany thought happily before she began thinking about the subject a little harder. _'Actually… everything has changed…'_ Brittany realized as she thought about all of the changes and events that had occurred over the past ten years.

Brittany was right; a lot _had_ changed over the years. It was hard at first, but eventually, everyone was able to put the whole mess of the Carmine brothers behind them. But even so, Brittany would make sure that she visited Dominic's and Benjamin's graves every so often. No one gave her any objection either, in fact, they encouraged her… especially Alvin.

After Brittany told him the whole story of how Ben saved her and what really happened, Alvin honored Ben almost as much as Brittany. Frequently, Alvin would even go with Brittany to the graveyard to visit the brothers.

Despite all of the nightmares and constant reminders of that tragedy, everyone was finally able to move on with their lives. A few days after the court date, everyone returned to school and it finally seemed that everything was getting back to normal.

While Alvin and Brittany returned to fighting over the most ridiculous things, they remained together through all of the years and in a way, all of the fights seemed to strengthen their relationship. Although there had been a few close calls to the end of their relationship, each time would end with both Alvin and Brittany realizing their mistakes and apologizing.

Simon and Jeanette, and Theodore and Eleanor had also seemed to get together. It took a while for them to admit their feelings towards one another, but both couples seemed to be finally stable by the time that everyone graduated from the third grade.

After getting into fourth grade, everything seemed to stay the same for a while before Alvin had gotten in trouble. Within the first marking period, Alvin had reduced his English grade below a thirty percent. Alvin was grounded for two months and was ordered to bring up the grade immediately by Dave, which required major tutoring from both Simon and Jeanette. Although she doesn't like to admit it, Brittany started to have trouble with her English as well and went straight to Alvin for help, bonding them even closer together.

Once in High School, things started to get rough for the six chipmunks. Eleanor had to deal with major self-esteem issues as older girls in the school would make fun of her for being overweight. But everything seemed to turn out for the best once she turned to Theodore who could easily cope and relate to her problem.

Things seemed to take an even harder turn as the group entered their sophomore year. Less than four months into the year, Alvin got into a fight with a junior and almost got expelled for it. The reason being, the junior tried to steal Brittany away from Alvin and when she refused, the junior struck Brittany across the face and forced a kiss with her. This infuriated Alvin when he heard about it, and Alvin immediately challenged the junior. Needless to say, Alvin won. But the fight had put the junior in the hospital for two days and Alvin was lucky to only get a month of suspension, also getting grounded for almost the remainder of the year.

Once the group became juniors, the group took a very unexpected turn for the worse, especially Alvin. It began when Alvin had joined the varsity football team. Almost instantly, he began hanging out with the jocks and more popular kids of the school rather than his real friends and family. Also, to everyone's amazement, Alvin had managed to become even _more_ obnoxious towards everyone and everything, including Brittany.

It got to a point where Brittany was honestly feeling that she had to break her relationship with Alvin to keep herself from going down the same path. Before she could do so however, Dave had gotten a call that Alvin had been arrested. It seems as if the football team had invited Alvin to a party and when the police showed to break it up, Alvin was automatically brought into custody for the alcohol and drugs that they found at the party. While the tests that the police made Alvin undertake revealed that he hadn't taken any marijuana or cocaine that was taken by almost everyone else, he _had_ managed to drink quite a bit of alcohol.

At first, Dave was completely and utterly furious with Alvin and was ready to make sure that he would be grounded until he moved out, but he eventually forced himself to calm down enough to listen to Alvin's reasoning behind everything. Apparently, one of Brittany's closest friends, Cathy, tipped Alvin off that Brittany was going to break up with him. Completely distraught, Alvin decided to take the football team's invitation to try and forget about everything.

Fortunately for Alvin, Brittany had been listening with her sisters, Simon, and Theodore. Hearing that she had caused Alvin heartache and feeling guilty, Brittany rushed into the room and confronted Alvin. At first, Brittany was angry that Alvin could ever do such a stupid thing, but soon she told him that she planned on ending their relationship because of the major change that Alvin had gone through. Finally realizing that he had caused everything, Alvin apologized to everyone and promised to change back to the normal Alvin that they grew to love over the years. Everyone accepted Alvin's apologies and moved on just like you would think that they would.

Surprisingly, in the group's senior year of high school, Alvin managed to stay out of trouble. While Alvin was still unsure whether he was going to end up going to college or not, he kept all of his grades up which came as a shock to everyone. Brittany was the same way. She wasn't sure whether she was going to go to college, but she thought that she might as well make a good transcript just in case.

Simon and Jeanette were different. They both knew that they wanted to go to college and had planned years ahead. Simon was going to major in Chemistry which had been his dream for a few years. He wanted to study it for a few years before ultimately becoming a teacher on the subject.

Jeanette, on the other hand, also wanted to become a teacher. Her dream was to become a general English teacher for a school. So she decided that she was going to take a major in English in college. Both her and Simon had also planned to attend the same college. They had both worked hard throughout all of their school years and retained a perfect grade point average, and their hard work paid off. They were both accepted and even encouraged to attend the Harvard University. At first, both were reluctant to accept the invitation because they didn't like the idea of moving so far away from their family, but in the end, they did.

Theodore and Eleanor however, both wanted to attend a special cooking school so that they could eventually realize their dreams of opening a restaurant. They both knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but they were positive that they could achieve their goal if they worked hard enough on it.

Now, ten years later and High School finally being over for the two families, everyone was bracing themselves for the drastic change that they were about to face. Simon and Jeanette had already begun packing because their flight to Massachusetts was leaving in a few weeks. While Theodore and Eleanor were helping their siblings pack, they were also looking through brochures for high-ranked cooking schools.

Alvin and Brittany however, were almost the complete opposites. While they did help Simon and Jeanette get ready and pack, they weren't doing anything to help themselves find a school or anything. Alvin currently has a job working as an auto mechanic for a car shop near their house. Despite the work he needs to do, Alvin has also been looking for an apartment for himself. After having to explain to Dave and Theodore that he needed his space, Alvin began looking for a place to live but he made sure to keep it close to the point that he could be there for everybody if they needed him.

Brittany on the other hand, had been working as a waitress for a café, but she recently had gotten fired and was now jobless. Originally, Brittany was going to follow Alvin and move out as well and look for a place for herself, but she decided that she wouldn't be able to leave Eleanor and Miss Miller alone on account that Jeanette was also going to be leaving soon.

As for today, much of it had already been planned out. Alvin and Brittany were going to help their siblings pack a little more, then Alvin needed to check out a few more apartments, and then, Alvin and Brittany were going out for an anniversary dinner. While it wasn't the actual day that they had gotten together, Alvin and Brittany finally chose an official day to call their anniversary, and it was today.

Finding herself suddenly tired, Brittany picked herself up from the bench that she was resting on and slowly made her way home. As she exited through the same gates as which she came, she began to completely back track to the point where she wasn't even paying attention to where she was walking anymore. Brittany started to daydream about what was going to happen between her and Alvin later in the day.

Beside from telling her that they _were_ going out somewhere, Alvin didn't give Brittany any other details, instead, he promised her that she was going to love it. Still daydreaming, Brittany heard her cell phone begin ringing and quickly snatched it out of her purse.

"Hello?" Brittany answered.

"Hey, babe." The voice greeted.

"Oh," Brittany gasped. "Hey Alvie…"

"Ugh," Alvin groaned. "Didn't I say to stop calling me that? Why do you even do it?"

"Why do you want me to stop?" Brittany teased.

"Because it's annoying…" Alvin sighed.

"And that's why I do it." Brittany giggled.

"Hahaha, smartass…" Alvin smirked. "So, where are you?" Alvin asked.

"I'm on my way home from visiting Ben and Dom." Brittany answered. "What about you?"

"Me?" Alvin asked. "I'm at the shop… on my lunch break. I don't get out of this damn place for another hour…" Alvin muttered.

"Well," Brittany began humorously. "That 'damn' job puts money in your pocket, so I wouldn't be complaining if I were you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, mom." Alvin laughed. "Did you find another job yet?" Alvin asked after a brief silence.

"Unfortunately… no…" Brittany sighed. "I still can't believe that they fired me! I was one of the best workers there!" Brittany shouted into the phone.

"Well…" Alvin began awkwardly. "You _did_ leave several people alone in the café to go and get your nails done…" Alvin finished as he let out a nervous chuckle.

"So? What are you trying to imply, Alvin? That it was_ my_ fault?!" Brittany snapped.

"N-No." Alvin answered quickly. "Anyway, are you still going to help Jeanette pack today?" Alvin asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, what about you, are you still helping Simon?" Brittany questioned.

"Ah-huh," Alvin hummed. "And are you ready for our special evening?" Alvin asked, slightly seductively.

"Can't you please tell me what you have planned?" Brittany pleaded.

"Nope, sorry babe, it's a secret." Alvin chuckled.

"You enjoy torturing me, don't you?" Brittany joked.

"Of course," Alvin smirked. "Anyway, I have to go, my breaks over. Love you."

"Love you too." Brittany giggled.

"See-ya." Alvin said quickly as Brittany heard a loud voice in the background.

"Bye." Brittany laughed as she closed her phone to realize that she was now standing in front of her house.

Brittany let out a gentle sighed and braced herself for the hard work she knew that she was about to endure and walked through the door. Almost immediately, Brittany heard a loud thud come from upstairs and ran up the flight of stairs to investigate. Brittany slowly walked through the hallway, quickly glancing around every corner in a futile attempt to locate the source of the sound, the last remaining room that she hadn't checked being the girls' old room. Brittany slowly pushed the door open to find Jeanette and Eleanor struggling to lift a broken bookshelf.

"What happened?" Brittany asked as she quickly helped her sisters and grabbed the shelf.

"Well," Jeanette groaned as the three placed the wooden plank back onto its holders. "I was packing up my books and… well; one side was heavier than the other…" Jeanette answered timidly.

"Come on, Jeanette…" Brittany sighed. "You're going to be moving out in a few weeks, you need to learn to be a little less clumsy…"

"Brittany, lay off." Eleanor retorted. "Jeanette's been so stressed out lately to the point where I'm starting to worry…" Eleanor said as she placed a sympathetic hand on Jeanette's shoulder.

"No, I know I've been a little harder to deal with lately…" Jeanette said sadly.

"I'm sorry; it's not your fault, Jeanette." Brittany apologized. "Besides, we're all a bit more stressed out lately…" Brittany groaned.

"Oh really, Brittany?" Eleanor asked, raising an eyebrow towards Brittany. "And what do you have to be stressed out about?" Eleanor asked curiously.

"Well, today is my anniversary." Brittany answered. "I say that calls for plenty of stress…"

"Why? Did you two get into another fight?" Jeanette asked as she began placing her old books into a cardboard box.

"Actually, no, things have been going great between us lately." Brittany said quietly.

"Then what's the problem?" Eleanor questioned.

"I guess that I'm just nervous…" Brittany sighed.

"Nervous?" Eleanor repeated. "You and Alvin have been together for ten years… what do you have to be nervous about?" Eleanor asked in disbelief.

"Well usually, Alvin will tell me what he's planning… but not this time. And I think he has something big planned…" Brittany concluded.

There was an awkward moment of silence between the sisters before Brittany picked her head up to find them avoiding eye contact with her.

Suddenly, it hit her…

"Wait…" Brittany said abruptly. "Do you two know something about tonight?" Brittany asked. "If you do, then tell me!" Brittany demanded.

"W-We're not keeping anything from you, Brittany…" Jeanette replied sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, I definitely believe that!" Brittany said sarcastically.

"She's right, Brittany." Eleanor said quietly. "We don't know… much…" Eleanor finished timidly.

"Much?" Brittany repeated before she began to glare angrily at her two sisters. "Tell me _everything_ that you two know." Brittany demanded yet again.

Jeanette shared a brief glance before they both let out a defeated sigh.

"Well, Theodore told me that apparently," Eleanor began. "Alvin's planning a big date with you tonight. Something about Alvin finally coming to a realization about something…" Eleanor rambled.

Brittany nodded her head before turning to Jeanette.

"All that Simon told me was that he's happy for Alvin…" Jeanette said quickly.

Brittany nodded at Jeanette also before looking up towards the ceiling and tapping her fingers on her chin to think. In a quick second, Brittany's entire face lit up and she squealed in delight.

"What's gotten into you, Brittany?" Jeanette asked as her and Eleanor watched Brittany parade around the room.

"Don't you get it?" Brittany asked only to get blank stares as her answers. "Alvin must have gotten that raise that he's been working for!"

"So?" Eleanor asked slowly.

"So, Alvin and I are finally going to go on that trip to Hawaii that we've been talking about!" Brittany squealed again.

"Are you sure about this, Brittany?" Eleanor asked with hesitation. "It all just seems a bit… odd…"

"Of course I'm sure!" Brittany reassured her. "I can't think of anything else that Alvin could be planning…"

"Alright, Brittany, I'll take your word for it." Jeanette sighed. "I'm happy for both of you."

"Yeah, me too." Eleanor said happily. "Do you know how long the trip will be?"

"Thanks guys and I'm not really sure." Brittany answered. "When Alvin and I were talking, we were expected to be there for a few weeks, but I'm not sure how long we can stay with his raise…" Brittany pondered.

"Well, either way, I'm going to miss you!" Eleanor said as she gave Brittany a hug.

"Yeah, so am I." Jeanette said as she joined the two. "Even if I can't see you the day Simon and I leave, I'll be happy as long as you're happy."

"Awe, I love you both." Brittany said warmly as she wrapped her arms around her two sisters.

"We love you too." The two sisters replied as they briefly tightened their grip around their older sister.

As the three continued to hold each other, Brittany was the first one to break the silence.

"But, we've still got plenty of time to be together." Brittany said happily. She was starting to get the feeling that they thought that it was going to be their last time truly together. "How about we hurry up and help Jeanette pack a little so that we can do something afterwards?" Brittany suggested.

"What about your date with Alvin?" Eleanor asked.

"The date isn't until seven tonight, we'll have plenty of time." Brittany replied.

"Alright, then let's get to work." Eleanor said as her and Jeanette began to help Brittany pack.

'_I wonder what Alvin's doing right now…'_ Brittany wondered as she continued to pack the cardboard boxes.

**

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With Alvin

"Alright Mario, I'm out of here." Alvin said to his boss as he walked towards the shop's main exit.

"Wait Alvin," Mario said, stopping Alvin and making him turn around. "Didn't you say that you wanted to ask me something?"

"Oh, yeah…" Alvin muttered as he entered Mario's office and closed the door behind him. "Mario, we've been friends for a while, and I need to tell you: I need a raise." Alvin stated firmly.

"Listen Alvin, I know that we've been friends for a long time and I know that you deserve a raise, but now is just not a good time. I barely have any money to enjoy myself." Mario sighed.

"Come on, isn't there _anything_ you can do?" Alvin argued.

"I'm sorry, Alvin, but no, there isn't." Mario replied.

"Alright…" Alvin muttered. "Okay, fine." Alvin sighed. "I'll see you later." Alvin mumbled as he opened the door of the office, walked through it, and slammed it behind him.

As Alvin walked out of the shop, he could faintly hear the sound of Mario's voice calling after him but he decided to ignore it.

Alvin made his way over to the red Jeep that he owned and silently got in it and started the ignition. _'I'm not going to let this ruin my day…'_ Alvin concluded as he turned on the stereo and started to blast music.

Feeling contempt, Alvin began to drive towards his house. As Alvin navigated his way through the streets, he began to wonder what was going to happen during his date with Brittany. _'I wonder what I should say…'_ Alvin pondered as he parked his Jeep in front of his house and got out of it.

As Alvin entered through the front door, he instantly saw Dave struggling to carry a large box by himself down the stairs.

"Whoa, Dave, let me help." Alvin said as he supported the box so that Dave could move easier.

With Alvin supporting it, the box became much easier to handle and both Dave and Alvin carried it down the stairs and into the living room with the rest of Simon's boxes.

"When did you get home, Alvin?" Dave asked as he tried to regain his breath.

"About a minute ago." Alvin answered.

"How was work?" Dave asked as he walked into the kitchen with Alvin following him.

"Eh, not bad." Alvin said as he opened the fridge door and took out a can of soda. "I asked for a raise…"

"And?" Dave questioned.

"I got denied…" Alvin sighed.

"Aren't you good friends with your boss?" Dave asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, but apparently that doesn't mean sh-" Alvin began, but he cut himself off as Dave gave him a warning glance. "Crap…" Alvin chuckled nervously.

"Alvin, you may be eighteen now, but I still do_ not_ condone foul language in this house." Dave warned.

"I know, sorry…" Alvin muttered.

"Anyway," Dave began. "What are you going to do?" Dave asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

"What do you mean?" Alvin questioned curiously.

"Well, considering I picked up the anniversary present that you got Brittany, I think we both know that it wasn't cheap…" Dave stated.

"I'm not sure yet," Alvin sighed. "I guess I'm just going to have to make payments on it. Where is it anyway?"

"It's in your room, on your bed." Dave answered.

"Alright, are Simon and Theodore up there too?" Alvin asked.

"I believe so," Dave replied. "I think Simon's getting another box packed to be brought downstairs."

"Okay, I'll go see if they need any help." Alvin said as he placed his empty can on the kitchen table and headed up the stairs.

"You do that…" Dave chuckled as he picked up Alvin's cup and recycled it.

As Alvin walked up the stairs, he could see Simon and Theodore walking around the boys' old room. Now at the top of the stairs, Alvin poked his through the open door and saw that they were gathering up old movies, books, and science equipment that belonged to Simon.

"Hey, Alvin." Simon greeted, noticing Alvin standing by the doorway.

"What's up, guys?" Alvin replied as he fully walked through the door.

"Not much, just packing." Theodore answered as he took a break from his work to talk to Alvin.

"Sounds like fun." Alvin laughed as he headed towards his bed and saw a bag on it.

Alvin picked the bag up and pulled the small object out of it and stared at it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Simon asked as he looked over Alvin's shoulder.

"Yes, it is…" Alvin sighed as he placed the object back into the bag.

"So, tonight's the big night?" Theodore asked excitedly.

"I guess so…" Alvin muttered as he lay down on his bed.

There was a brief silence as Alvin found himself staring at the ceiling.

"You don't sound too excited…" Simon said worriedly. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"Are you kidding? This is the only decision that I've ever had to make that I'm _sure_ I'm doing right…" Alvin sighed. "I guess that I'm just a little nervous."

"I don't blame you, I would be nervous too if I were in your position." Simon chuckled.

"Maybe you _will_ be my position soon…" Alvin smirked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Simon stammered defensively. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here…" Simon said as his face turned red from embarrassment.

"Oh please, Si," Alvin laughed. "We all know that it's going to happen eventually…"

"Yes, _eventually_, but not now." Simon stated.

"Whatever," Alvin smiled. "I still don't know how I'm going to even approach the subject…"

"Well, have a nice dinner then just drift into it…" Simon suggested.

"Easier said than done…" Alvin said as he glared up at Simon.

"You'll be able to do it, Alvin." Theodore stated. "I know you will."

"Thanks, Theo…" Alvin smiled.

"Yeah, we have complete confidence in you." Simon said as he and Theodore sat next to Alvin on his bed.

"Well, at least that makes two of us." Alvin sighed.

"Cheer up, Alvin." Theodore said reassuringly. "I've got an idea, let's hurry up and finish packing up so we can all do something together… I mean, we don't have too much time left together…" Theodore finished sadly.

"Of course we can, Theo." Alvin said as he smiled. "Besides, I'm not moving away Theo, only a couple blocks. I promise."

"Yeah, and I'll come to visit all the time and I'll be sure to call every day." Simon said as he placed a hand on Theodore's shoulder.

"You guys promise? I just don't want our family to be broken up…" Theodore whispered as he raised his arm to wipe the tears that were starting to form in his eyes.

"That'll never happen, Theodore." Simon said reassuringly.

"Thanks guys…" Theodore said as a small smile crossed his lips.

"No problem, now, let's get started to we can get done earlier." Alvin said as he started to pack old movies into one of the cardboard boxes.

"Alright, let's do it!" Theodore said enthusiastically as he and Simon started to help Alvin.

**

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**

The Seville residence – Later that night

"Alvin, what's taking you so long?" Simon asked as he banged on the bathroom door.

Alvin had originally said that he was just going to into the bathroom to brush his hair and he was going to be right out… but that was nearly an hour ago.

"One second…" Alvin called back, making Simon sigh.

Simon was about to bang on the door once again, but he heard the door unlock, and it opened before he got the chance.

Out from the steamy bathroom, came Alvin. At first, Simon simply gawked at the chipmunk in complete amazement. Alvin was wearing Dave's best tuxedo, and tuxedo that would cost a round a thousand dollars new. Alvin also had his hair combed back, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Alvin was not wearing his lucky red baseball cap.

Over the years, Alvin had grown noticeably different. In fact, all three of the brothers and even Dave has.

During their sophomore year, Alvin had finally hit his growth spurt and was now just about as tall as Simon. Besides growing taller, Alvin had also become one of the guys that all of the girls wanted in High School. Training for football had greatly toned Alvin's body and has made him fairly built. Besides his physical changes, Alvin had also grown up a lot. Alvin had greatly toned down all of his mischief, although, he has kept his sarcastic and over-confident attitude throughout the years. Regardless, Alvin had also grown to be noticeably nicer over the years towards everyone. Alvin no longer wore his signature red sweatshirt; instead, he now wore a pair of blue jeans or red shorts and either a red or white shirt, and even though many people tried, Alvin absolutely refused to stop wearing his red baseball cap that he was known for.

Simon on the other hand, hadn't grown much since he was little. He was still taller than Alvin, but barely at this point. Against Dave, Simon would probably be up to Dave's chest in height. Throughout the year ever since freshman year, Simon had gotten Alvin's help on exercising and was now bigger than he had been previously… although, no wear near as much as Alvin. Personality-wise, Simon hadn't changed much. Simon's careful and wise attitude had been kept consistent throughout the years, and although everyone hated it sometimes, they had all grown to eventually accept it. Another change was that Simon had grown his hair out a little more and would usually have it swept behind his head, making him look even more sophisticated. Simon would also, no matter what he was wearing, manage to wear _something_ blue on his attire.

But Theodore had arguably changed the most over the years. Theodore had done what some people deemed impossible and lost quite a bit of weight. While he still remained 'bigger' than the rest of the group, he looked and felt much healthier than he had previously. Another change in Theodore was his attitude. After encouraging from everyone, especially Eleanor and Alvin, Theodore had finally gotten the courage to stand up for himself and to make his own decisions. However, another big change was Theodore's somewhat 'abandonment' of the color green. While he still wore it from time to time, Theodore began wearing green less and less over the years, shocking just about everyone.

Dave was also the one who had changed the _least_ over the years. The only noticeable differences being Dave's voice changing slightly and the large amount of gray hairs that started to sprout from his skull. Dave had gotten a job as a school teacher for a few years after everyone decided to end the careers of the Chipmunks and Chipettes. While the groups still sang alone and together from time to time, they each decided that it would be easier to chase their real dreams if they didn't have to worry about performing and writing new songs.

"Well, how do I look?" Alvin smirked, noticing Simon's stare.

"I never knew that you could look so good, Alvin… no offence…" Simon chuckled.

"None taken, and thanks." Alvin said as he side-stepped Simon and walked into their bedroom.

As Simon followed Alvin into the bedroom, he saw Alvin immediately go to the mirror in their room to make sure his clothes were smooth and straight.

"Oh Alvin, do you have it?" Simon asked as he watched his brother fix himself up.

"Yeah, I got it." Alvin said as he lowered his right hand and gently tapped his pocket.

Simon continued to watch with amusement as Alvin tried to fix his tie, only to make it noticeably worse.

"Here, let me help…" Simon muttered as he walked over to Alvin and began straightening the thin piece of cloth.

Within a moment, Simon fixed Alvin's tie and tightened it, making Alvin tug at it subconsciously.

"So, do you know how you and Brittany are getting there?" Simon asked as he began straightening Alvin's jacket.

"Yeah, I renter a limo for the night." Alvin answered.

"A limo?" Simon repeated. "Don't you think that's overdoing it a bit?"

"I say that this night deserves a limo…" Alvin replied.

"I guess you're right." Simon agreed. "There… now you look like a true gentleman." Simon said happily as he stepped aside so Alvin could see himself in the mirror.

"Thanks, Si." Alvin said, feeling truly contempt with Simon's help.

"No problem," Simon chuckled. "That's what brothers are for."

"Uh-oh…" Alvin mumbled under his breath as he glanced at his watch. "It's six-fifteen…"

"Aren't you supposed to pick Brittany up at seven?" Simon asked as he smacked his forehead in disbelief.

"Yeah, well…" Alvin chuckled nervously.

"I think you should go… _now_…" Simon sighed as he watched Alvin bolt out of the door as fast as he could. "Good luck, bro…" Simon mumbled as he sat down on his bed and closed his eyes.

Alvin quickly ran down the stairs and began to open the door when he heard someone clear their voice behind him. Alvin turned around and saw Dave standing in the doorframe of the kitchen with his arms crossed, smiling.

"What?" Alvin asked curiously as he watched Dave walk up to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Alvin," Dave began. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you and no matter what happens today, I am _so_ proud of you…" Dave finished as he held out his hand for Alvin to shake.

"I know Dave," Alvin smiled. "And I love you too." Alvin said warmly as he avoided Dave's hand and gave him a hug instead.

While to two remained in each other's embrace, they heard the faint sound of a car horn from outside of the house.

"That's probably the limo…" Alvin muttered as he walked to the front door and opened it.

"Alright, good luck, Alvin." Dave said, waving to Alvin.

"Thanks." Alvin called back as he walked through the door and closed it behind him.

Once on the front step of the house, Alvin took a deep breath before he began walking towards the long vehicle that was parked in the driveway. Slowly and silently, Alvin opened the door of the limousine and entered it, closing the door behind him.

"Good evening, sir." The driver greeted as he watched Alvin adjust himself in the backseat through the rearview mirror.

"Oh, hello." Alvin said as he faced forward towards the driver. "The company gave you the addresses and directions, right?" Alvin asked.

"Yes, sir." The driver answered as he unfolded a piece of paper that was next to him. "The Miller residence is the first stop, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right." Alvin replied as he sat back in his seat. "Thank you." Alvin said as the driver began backing out of the driveway.

Throughout the ride, Alvin was deep in thought about the night and what could happen. But while his thoughts continued, Alvin was reminded that the Miller's house was only a short drive as he heard the driver calling out towards him.

"Sir, we're here." The driver said, trying to be nice but clearly frustrated.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Alvin chuckled as he opened the door of the limousine. "I'll be right back…" Alvin said as he closed the door and went up to the Miller's front door.

Alvin reached his hand up to knock on the door but feel into a slight state of paralysis. _'I've got to do this…'_ Alvin told himself as he hesitantly knocked on the door. After a few moments of waiting, Alvin was about to knock again but just as he lifted his hand up, the door suddenly swung open with a brown-haired chipmunk standing on the opposite side of Alvin.

"Hello, Alvin." The chipmunk greeted.

"Hi, Jeanette." Alvin greeted back. "Is Brittany ready yet?" Alvin asked.

"Almost," Jeanette answered. "Would you like to wait inside?" Jeanette asked politely.

"Sure, just as long as it's not too much of a wait," Alvin sighed. "I think the limo driver's starting to get pissed…" Alvin muttered as he walked past Jeanette and into the living room.

"So, how's packing coming?" Alvin asked as he took a seat on one of the couches.

"Eh, not too bad." Jeanette said happily. "The only thing being that it's just about always busy around here…"

"Same at our house," Alvin sighed. "Every day, Simon _always_ finds something else to pack…"

"Well, it's all going to be worth it." Jeanette stated.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Alvin smiled.

The room fell into a brief silence before both chipmunks heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Jeanette?" A voice called out.

"Yes, Brittany?" Jeanette responded.

"Is Alvin waiting outside?" Brittany called, still remaining out of sight.

"No, Brittany," Jeanette answered. "He's in the living room."

"WHAT?!" Brittany yelled. "Tell him to get outside!" Brittany demanded.

"Awe, come on, Brittany." Alvin sighed. "I'm sure you look fine…"

"Fine…" Brittany groaned as more steps on the stairs were heard.

It was true; Alvin thought that Brittany looked amazing no matter what. But, just as the boys had, Brittany, Jeanette, Eleanor, and even Miss Miller had all changed to an extent over the years.

Jeanette had changed a lot since she was a child. One change being Jeanette's change in hairstyle. She now would curl her brown hair and let it run along her back. Jeanette's personality had also changed. While she was still clumsy and shy like her childhood self, she had become more confident and would now stick up for herself. Jeanette was also similar to Simon in the sense that no matter what, Jeanette would _always_ manage to wear either blue or purple in her attire.

Eleanor had also undergone a lot of changes. While Eleanor was still the 'biggest' of her sisters, like Theodore, she had gone on a diet during High School and was now healthier than she had previously been. Eleanor had also decided to change her hairstyle. While she still tied her hair into pig-tails from time to time, she would normally have her hair straight along her back much like Jeanette. While Eleanor's main personality hadn't changed much over the years, she had become noticeably less interested in the color green, much like Theodore.

Miss Miller was like Dave, she had barely changed over the years. Her only noticeably change really being her change of hairstyle that she had gotten about a year ago.

Brittany, on the other hand, might have had the most drastic changes of all. One change being, that she had become much more beautiful, her beauty being something that every girl in the High School envied her for. Like Alvin, Brittany had also hit a growth spurt during High School and was now slightly shorter than Jeanette. Another change was that Brittany had also grown her auburn hair a little longer, but remained to keep her hair in a ponytail most of the time. The rest of Brittany's body had also grown, making just about every boy, including Alvin; fall head over heels for her. Also, during her High School years, Brittany had also become a cheerleader. Besides physical changes, Brittany's personality had also changed much like Alvin's. Brittany no longer tried to be dominant over everything and stopped getting into petty arguments with everyone. Like Alvin, Brittany had also gotten much nicer towards everyone over the years. Brittany's favorite color was still pink, but she finally decided to wear _other_ colors besides pink, and would now mix her outfits with two colors that fit nice together.

But regardless of Alvin knowing that Brittany was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, he was left in awe as he watched her slowly walk down the stairs and into the living room.

Brittany was wearing a long, light pink dress that ended just above her knees. The dress was backless and fit perfectly on her body. Brittany also had her long auburn hair curled and along her back, much like Jeanette's but more curly and glossier.

"Wow…" Alvin whispered as he continued to stare at Brittany.

"Do you like it?" Brittany giggled, making Alvin nod. "Thank you. And I like the way you look as well."

"Only the best for my girl." Alvin smirked as he got up off of the couch and wrapped his arms around Brittany.

"So, what now?" Brittany asked excitedly.

"What now?" Alvin repeated. "We go on the date, of course." Alvin laughed as he intertwined his fingers with Brittany's and led her towards the door. "Are you ready?" Alvin asked.

"Um, just let me get my purse…" Brittany answered as she quickly ran up the stairs, only to return a moment later with a small purse around her shoulder.

"Are you ready now?" Alvin asked.

"Yes." Brittany giggled.

Just as Alvin and Brittany were about to leave, they heard someone call their names. They both turned around and saw Miss Miller coming towards them.

"Have a good night, you two." Miss Miller said as she kissed Brittany on her forehead and lightly pinched Alvin's right cheek.

"We will." Alvin said as he turned towards the door, only to turn back to Miss Miller when he felt a hand make its way onto his shoulder.

"Take care of my girl, won't you?" Miss Miller asked with a smile on her face.

"Of course." Alvin answered as he put his arm around Brittany's waist and let her out of the house.

As soon as they exited the house, Brittany's sight immediately turned towards the limousine in the driveway and her eyes lit up.

"Is that really for us?" Brittany asked with astonishment.

"Yep." Alvin laughed as he opened the car door for Brittany and got in himself after she was fully in. "Alright, you know the next address, right?" Alvin asked the driver.

"Yes, the _French Restaurant_, correct?" The driver asked, making Alvin slap his forehead and making Brittany gasp.

"Yeah, that's right…" Alvin sighed.

"Okay." The driver said as he backed out of the Miller's driveway.

"Are we really going to the French Laundry?" Brittany asked Alvin.

"Ah-huh." Alvin hummed.

"Thank you!" Brittany squealed as she threw her arms around Alvin and brought him into a hug. "But the French Laundry is one of the most expensive restaurants in the entire country!" Brittany gasped.

Brittany was right. To just get into the French Laundry restaurant, it cost over one-hundred and fifty dollars per person.

"Don't worry," Alvin said as he continued to embrace Brittany. "Money is _no_ object tonight."

"Really? Are you sure?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Alvin answered. "I want tonight to be one of the most special nights of your life." Alvin smirked.

"Well, you're succeeding so far." Brittany giggled.

"Good…" Alvin smiled.

Throughout the remainder of the ride, Alvin and Brittany sat in the backseat, talking about their plans, their sibling's plans, and anything else the conversation would drift to.

"Excuse me," The driver interrupted. "We have reached the restaurant." The driver said as he gestured towards the large and glamorous building to the right of the limousine.

"Thank you very much." Alvin said as he got out of the limousine and helped Brittany out.

"Yes, thank you." Brittany said to the driver.

"No problem." The driver chuckled. "Would you like me to wait outside?" The driver asked.

"No, that's alright. I told the company that I'd call for a ride." Alvin answered.

"Alright, have a good night." The driver said as he waved to the couple before driving off.

"Bye." Alvin and Brittany called out as they waved back.

"Ready to go?" Alvin asked as he cupped his hand around Brittany's once again.

"Yes, I am." Brittany smiled as Alvin let her towards the restaurant's main doors.

As soon as they entered the building, Alvin and Brittany could immediately see why the restaurant was so expensive. The ceiling was decorated with dozens and dozens of crystal chandeliers and artistic moldings of numerous figures. Each section of the walls were covered with an authentic mural depicting something different in each one, ranging from famous battles in history, biblical scenes, and even people that had managed to become famous during their lives. The rest of the wall that was not covered by the murals was a beautiful shade of blue. All together, those little details gave the entire place an amazing atmosphere.

"Oh… my… god…" Brittany whispered as she looked around the restaurant.

"Do you like it?" Alvin smirked, getting a silent nod from Brittany as his response. "I checked this place out a few days ago and I thought that you would love it."

"You have good judgment." Brittany laughed.

"I know, I know…" Alvin sighed as he and Brittany made their way to the host's front table.

"Good evening," The host greeted. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes we do," Alvin answered.

"Name?" The host asked.

"'Seville'" Alvin replied.

"Okay," The host said as he looked through a book on the table before calling over one of the waiters walking through the building. "Andrew, please show these two to table seventeen."

"No problem." The waiter replied. "Please, this way." The waiter said to Alvin and Brittany as he led them to their table.

As the three navigated through the building, Brittany couldn't stop wondering how Alvin could ever afford to take them to a place like this. _'It must be his raise!'_ Brittany thought happily.

"Alright, here's your table." The waiter said as he stopped in front of a table with a card on it that read "seventeen". "My name is Andrew and I will be your waiter for this evening. What would you two like to drink?"

"What's the legal drinking age?" Alvin asked jokingly.

"Twenty-one." Andrew laughed.

"I'll take a Coke…" Alvin sighed.

"So will I." Brittany stated.

"Aright, two Cokes." Andrew said to himself. "Here are your menus."

"Thank you." Alvin and Brittany said as they began skimming through the large varieties of food.

"Here are your drinks." Andrew said as he placed two large cups in front of Alvin and Brittany. "Would you like soup or salad as an appetizer?"

Alvin and Brittany exchanged glances before smiling.

"I'll take salad." They both answered together.

"Aright, two salads." Andrew said as he wrote it down in his notepad. "Would either of you like salad dressing?"

"I'll take Italian." Alvin answered.

"Same with me." Brittany replied.

"Aright, I'll get you two your appetizers, in the mean time, please look through our menus." Andrew said as he left the table.

"I heard that this place makes the best steak that you will ever eat…" Alvin stated as he put down the menu on the table. "I think I'll be the judge of that." Alvin smirked.

"Okay, then…" Brittany giggled. "I'm going to get boneless chicken legs, myself."

"I heard those were good, too." Alvin smiled.

"Then that's a good thing." Brittany smiled back.

"Alright, sorry to keep you two waiting…" Andrew apologized as he placed two large bowls of salads in front of Alvin and Brittany. "Have you two decided on a main course?"

"Yes, I'll take the biggest steak you have, cooked rare, and seasoned." Alvin answered.

"And I'll take an order of the boneless chicken legs, cooked medium, please." Brittany responded.

"Alright, please enjoy your appetizers as your food is cooked." Andrew said before taking off again.

As soon as Andrew was fully gone, Alvin and Brittany began digging into their salads, neither of them aware that they haven't eaten since breakfast until now.

After a good ten minutes, Andrew returned to the table with the main courses to see that Alvin and Brittany had finished their salads.

"Hungry, are we?" Andrew chuckled. "Here you are…" Andrew said as he handed out the food. "Please enjoy."

"Thank you." Alvin and Brittany said as they began eating.

After about a half hour, both Alvin and Brittany had finished their meals.

"Wow that was good…" Alvin sighed as he placed his utensils on his empty plate. "They definitely get my vote…"

"Yes, it was." Brittany giggled.

The two sat in a slightly awkward silence before Alvin decided to break it by clearing his throat.

"So, Brittany…" Alvin began.

"Yes, Alvin?" Brittany asked excitedly, fluttering her eyelashes in the process.

"D-Do you know why I wanted tonight to be so special?" Alvin questioned nervously.

"Alvin, you don't need to hide it anymore… I'd love to go to Hawaii with you!" Brittany squealed.

"Hawaii?" Alvin repeated. "What do you mean?"

"You don't need to play 'dumb' anymore, Alvin." Brittany said happily. "With your raise we can finally go!"

"My raise?" Alvin mumbled. "Is that what you think this is about?" Alvin asked, shock clearly on his face.

"Yeah," Brittany answered. "What's wrong?" Brittany questioned.

"Brittany… I was denied my raise…" Alvin muttered.

"What?" Brittany gasped. "Then what's all of this about?"

"Well, for one, it's our anniversary… and two…" Alvin cut himself off and pointed behind Brittany.

All of a sudden, all of the lights in the entire restaurant dimmed and everyone became quiet. Confused, Brittany slowly turned around and saw a woman come out of a door with a microphone in her right hand. The woman smiled at Alvin and Brittany before bringing the microphone up to her mouth.

"_**Many times I've tried to tell you**_

_**Many times I've cried alone**_

_**Always I'm surprised how well you**_

_**Cut my feelings to the bone**_

_**Don't want to leave you really**_

_**I've invested too much time**_

_**To give you up that easy**_

_**To the doubts that complicate your mind"**_

Completely tear-eyed, Brittany turned back towards Alvin to thank him but became confused once again when she did not find him in his seat across from her. Instead, Alvin was on his knee to the left of Brittany.

"Alvin, what are you doing?" Brittany asked as he eyes opened wide.

"Brittany," Alvin began, ignoring her question. "I love you more than life itself, you are my whole world, and while I may not deserve your love and beauty… I would be honored if you would become my wife…"

"A-Alvin…" Brittany whispered as tears fell from her eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

"Brittany Ann Miller…" Alvin smiled as he took a small object from his pocket and held it in front of him. "Will you marry me?" Alvin asked as he opened the small box to reveal a white gold ring with a rather large diamond sprouting from the top.

Brittany entire face lit up at the sight of the ring before more tears fell from her eyes. Without hesitation, Brittany jumped out of her chair and gave Alvin a hug, knocking them both to the ground.

"Is that yes?" Alvin chuckled.

"Of course that's a yes!" Brittany laughed through her sobs. "I love you so much!" Brittany smiled as she buried her face in Alvin's chest.

"And I love you so much." Alvin said as he lifted Brittany's left hand and placed the ring on her finger.

Just like Alvin expected, the ring fit Brittany's finger perfectly. Brittany pulled her face away from Alvin's chest long enough to inspect her hand before letting out a satisfied sigh. Alvin pulled Brittany closer to him and rocked them both back and forth.

Alvin looked up for a moment and saw that everyone else in the restaurant was watching him and Brittany with big smiles on their faces. Alvin turned towards the singer and winked at her.

"_**We Belong to the light**_

_**We Belong to the thunder**_

_**We Belong to the sound of the words**_

_**We've both fallen under**_

_**Whatever we deny or embrace**_

_**For worse or for better**_

_**We Belong, We Belong**_

_**We Belong together"**_

As the woman finished the song, Alvin pulled himself and Brittany to their feet.

"I'm sorry, Brittany…" Alvin mumbled as he wrote out a check and placed it on top of the bill.

"For what?" Brittany asked worriedly.

"Well, we're not going to Hawaii like you wanted…" Alvin sighed.

"Oh Alvin," Brittany giggled. "This is much better than Hawaii could _ever_ be!" Brittany smiled as she looked at the ring on her finger.

"So, you're happy?" Alvin asked curiously.

"Of course I am, Alvin." Brittany answered happily. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Alvin said as he pulled Brittany in and kissed her.

For a few moments, the two remained interlocked with each other. As their tongues explored in each other's mouths and wrestled with each other occasionally, they suddenly heard everyone in the building applaud.

The two broke away and gazed into each other's eyes, clearly blushing and clearly embarrassed… but neither of them cared. All they _did_ care about was the fact that they had each other.

"Come on." Alvin said as he grabbed Brittany's hand and led them outside of the building.

Alvin pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. The line rang a few times before Alvin heard someone answer.

"Hello?" Alvin asked.

"Alvin?" A voice questioned.

"Yeah, Si, it's me." Alvin said quickly. "Listen; can you do me a favor?"

"Of course," Simon answered without hesitation. "What do you need?"

"Can you make sure that everyone's at the Miller's house?" Alvin replied.

"Sure thing." Simon responded.

"Thanks, Si," Alvin sighed. "Bye."

"Bye." Simon said as he hung up the phone.

Alvin ended the current call and dialed a different number this time. The line rang once before a voice greeted Alvin.

"Yes hi," Alvin greeted. "My name is Alvin Seville. I rented a limousine and I need to have two people picked up."

"Okay, Mister Seville." The voice responded. "I have your report and we have one of our drivers near your location. I'll call him now and tell him to pick you up."

"Alright, thanks." Alvin said as he closed him phone.

Within a few minutes, a limousine drove up to the restaurant and Alvin helped Brittany into it just as he did when he first picked her up.

"Hello to you two again." The driver greeted.

Alvin and Brittany both face forward at the same time to realize that it was the same driver that had brought them to the restaurant.

"Small world, huh?" Alvin laughed, making the driver laugh as well. "Can you please take us back to the Miller's residence?"

"No problem." The driver answered as he began to drive towards their destination.

The ride was mostly silent except for the few gasps that came from Brittany, who couldn't manage to stop admiring her new ring.

"You really like it, don't you?" Alvin smirked.

"Of course." Brittany giggled.

"Alright, you two," The driver interrupted once again. "Here is your stop."

"Thank you." Alvin and Brittany said as they climbed out of the vehicle before it drove away.

"Ready?" Alvin asked as they both glanced at the house in front of them.

"More than ever…" Brittany said happily as they both walked up to the house and walked through the front door.

"Welcome back." They heard someone call from the living room.

Alvin and Brittany both exchanged brief glances before they entered into the living room. Once inside, they were greeted by Simon, Jeanette, Theodore, Eleanor, and Miss Miller

"Hey guys." Alvin greeted as he looked around. "Where's Dave?" Alvin asked curiously.

"Dave's on his way," Simon answered. "He just had a last few things to do so I took my car here."

"Okay." Alvin said, feeling contempt with the answer.

"So, Brittany…" Eleanor began excitedly. "When do you and Alvin leave?"

"I was wrong, Eleanor…" Brittany sighed. "Alvin didn't get a raise… we're not going to Hawaii…"

"Oh, I'm sorry Brittany…" Eleanor said as she walked over to Brittany and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about me, Eleanor…" Brittany giggled as she purposely placed her left hand on Eleanor shoulder.

"What the-" Eleanor said as she felt a rather heavy weight coming from Brittany's hand.

And as if on cue, Eleanor's eyes widened as she looked at the beautiful ring that was on her sister's hand. Jeanette and Miss Miller noticed Eleanor's gaze at Brittany hand and while inspecting the hand a little closer, they fell into a state of shock like Eleanor.

"Everyone…" Brittany began as she wrapped her hand around Alvin's. "Alvin proposed to me tonight… and I said yes!" Brittany squealed.

As soon as Brittany stated her answer, everyone erupted into a loud cheer making Alvin and Brittany blush.

"I'm so happy for both of you!" Miss Miller said as she wrapped her arms around both Alvin and Brittany.

"Yeah, congratulations." Everyone else said together.

"Thank you, guys." Alvin and Brittany said in unison.

Before anyone else could continue, a loud chime from a cell phone rang throughout the room.

"it's mine…" Simon said as he took his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Simon, it's Dave!" The voice screamed.

"Dave?" Simon asked.

"Yes, turn the T.V to channel eight!" Dave said quickly.

"Wait, Dave, what's going on?" Simon questioned.

"There's no time to explain, turn the T.V onto channel eight! I'll be over there in a minute!" Dave stated before he hung up the phone.

As Simon heard the dial tone, he pulled the phone away from his ear and simply stared at it.

"Simon, what's wrong?" Jeanette asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know…" Simon muttered as he walked over to the T.V in the room and turned it on. "Where's the remote?" Simon asked.

"Right here…" Eleanor said as she handed Simon the remote.

Hesitantly, Simon changed the channel to eight. Once the channel switched, everyone saw it was a news channel and there was a woman being introduced.

"And here's the top news with Anna Watson." The announcer said.

"Thank you." Anna said happily. "Our top story tonight is that felon; Michael Carmine has escaped from his incarceration and is still at large…

**To Be Continued…**

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And that's the end of the first book of Driven by Love...

**Don't worry... there's definitely going to be a sequel!**

**Thanks to all of my fans which inspired me and kept this story going!**

**Please review! I really want to know what everyone thought about the story and this chapter!**

**Also, I'm planning on writing another one-shot that will take place in DbL... so, check that out!**

**AND!**

**My next story, "To Truly Love Someone" has a BETA summary on my profile!**

**Again,**

**THANKS FOR READING! ^^**


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